


Taking The Stars Back

by Haggledore



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Drama, FrostIron - Freeform, Language, M/M, Romance, Slash, Some Sex, Sometimes Fluff, general male/male stuff, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-12
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2017-12-05 02:49:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 109,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haggledore/pseuds/Haggledore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some opinions never change especially Loki's views of Midgard and its inhabitants, but when things start to happen between Tony and himself it might cause him to rethink all his first judgements and realise life as a Midgardian is not so bad. But the Chitauri don't give up easily and Tony and Loki's relationship might just end up hanging in the balance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

# Prologue

Nick Fury paced back and forth in front of the tall oak doors. It angered him that he wasn’t allowed entrance so he vowed to stay right outside so he was the first one told. The verdict meant a great deal to him just as it did to the others around him. Loki had hurt them all in some way, not necessarily directly, but he had made a mark.

Now it was his judgement day. Just through those doors, those beautifully crafted, magic sealed doors, stood Loki waiting for his sentence. He stood quite calmly though his heart told a different story. It beat rapidly in his chest causing his breathing to quicken.

He felt so helpless and weak in front of so many. They leered at him from all around, they surrounded him and there was no escape. Not that he really wanted to or that he could. Escapes were hard enough when in a room full of people with their gazes fixed on you but it was made nearly impossible without magic. 

“Loki Odinson,” A voice boomed causing all other muttering in the room to cease. “You have been brought here to receive your punishment for your sins against Midgard and its people. Some of your crimes are of such a measure I do not wish to speak them here. However, you are aware of your wrongdoings and therefore have repented for your sins. You have shown remorse for what you have done and so your punishment will be affected by this.” 

Odin paused for breath and looked down, with his only good eye, at the man he still considered his son. He wished he had not witnessed Loki’s flinch at the use of his adopted surname. It hurt to know that he had lost his son, who he had loved and cared about for many years. 

“So I have decided that for all your crimes against Midgard you must make amends to the realm and its people. You will stay with the Avengers team in their tower and work with them until you make up for everything you have done. Your magic has been bound by the bracelets that rest on your wrists along with all forms of weaponry and, if I deem necessary,” He took another breath and prepared himself for his next words. “Your immortality will also be taken.” 

Whispers began all round the room, hurried yet quiet. Loki continued to stand still but his heart beat even faster. Without his magic he was barely himself and without his immortality he would be nothing but human. The thought of that still disgusted him. How could being a human be worth anything? It could not compare at all to life as an Asgardian. He would never sink to that level. He swore to never reach that level of humiliation.

“The Avengers will be informed of this choice shortly and you will travel back with them after. Now I will make this very CLEAR. If you attempt to harm any Midgardian or cause harm to their realm you will be imprisoned with the strictest and cruellest Asgardian laws. Do you accept your punishment?” 

Of course, the entire room knew he was going to accept his punishment and yet they still waited in earnest ready for him to admit defeat. They waited for the moment he would hand over all his power and become no more than another worthless life. 

Loki sighed deeply then looked straight up at Odin, “I accept.” 

The world became a blur from that moment on. Guards stepped forward and grabbed his arms in a vice like grip before ushering him towards the towering double doors. As they drew closer the doors swung open without a sound and he was shoved unceremoniously through into the open space beyond.

Odin followed closely and, when close enough, took hold of Loki’s arm and pulled him to his side. They walked near enough together, although Loki was always one step behind, up to the Avengers who rose from their chairs immediately. 

Loki was absorbed by his own thoughts while Odin told them about his verdict. He had not yet had time to dwell much on his punishment but now it was the only thought that filled his mind. What would happen to him when he arrived at this tower? Would the Avengers lock him away like they so much desired or would they act differently? How were they going to accept having an ex-war criminal living in their midst? Apparently only time would tell. 

His thoughts were disturbed by an outcry of angry voices. Obviously the group wasn’t going to accept him straight away. Normally he would have become irritated by the continuous twittering of angry voices but today he just didn’t have the energy. Standing there with his arm still held by his former father seemed like the only thing he was able to do. 

Time suddenly sped up and he was now being ushered out into the cool night air. From the moment he had stepped back into Midgard after serving some time in Asgard, while his trial was being organised, his usual attire of leather and green cape had been stripped from him. Now he stood in the cold with only a thin white shirt and dark trousers protecting his pale unnaturally thin body. 

Loki felt rather than heard the voice speaking to him. It was close yet not too close, obviously this person knew when to keep their distance. He decided it was necessary to listen and soon learnt that he was expected to get in the vehicle parked a few metres away so he could be taken to his new prison. 

As he made his way forward, still flanked by two guards, someone spoke. 

“Loki,” Odin said softly, though not losing any of his usual authoritative tone.

Loki turned slowly and met the eye of the man he had grown up calling a father. The scene around seemed to freeze as all eyes were turned to the pair who’s gazes were locked together. 

“Good luck,” He said, patting the taller man’s arm. He noticed the pain in Loki’s piercing green eyes though he did well to conceal it. It was pain that could never go away because it was created by lies and betrayal, something that could never be forgiven. “I am sorry I failed you as a father.” 

Loki wanted to pull away. He wanted to free himself from the grip that was keeping him in place. He wanted to shout and scream like he had done once before. He still so badly craved the truth and yet deep down he knew it. Odin had failed in some ways but both were to blame for the problems between them.

Instead of uttering a word, he just nodded in reply before turning and settling himself inside the vehicle whose engine revved violently. 

No one spoke for a while because they were all trying to work out what had just transpired before them. They knew some small details about the situation like that Loki was adopted but they didn’t know any more than that. Thor was always secretive about such things.

Then the world clicked back into place and everyone remembered they had things to attend to. The Avengers separated into two cars, one being the one Loki was in and the other that seemed more inviting. Thor, Bruce, Clint and Natasha settled themselves into the second while Tony, Steve and Nick Fury joined Loki.

Silence. That is what filled the cars all the way to Stark Tower. Silence. It remained all the way into the tower and up to the top floor that was Tony’s living space. 

Each Avenger, when deciding to stay and live in the tower, had been given a floor for which they could do with as they please. As the lift rose they shared worried, angry and confused looks. None of them had worked out yet what to do with Odin’s verdict. None of them could imagine LIVING with Loki. 

“So I suppose…ermm…you need a room…err…follow me,” Tony said, after the silence had dragged on for longer than was ever acceptable for a silence. 

Loki nodded before following Tony down a wide corridor. 

“This should do, I think anyway. The tower is good enough to house a group of rejects and one overly muscular god so it should be good enough for you,” He babbled.

He panicked under Loki’s watchful gaze. Those eyes, so bright and blank, intrigued him yet made him feel uncomfortable and nervous. They did not leave his face for a second. In the end the green orbs moved and rested, instead, on the room before him. 

“It is fine.” 

“Good, right…well, I need to get back and, you know, talk to the team so just make yourself at home.” 

Then he hurried off back into the living room leaving Loki to think about his new and still unknown life. It would take some time to get used to and some time to be accepted but no matter how low Loki was feeling at that moment, at the back of his mind somewhere deep and hidden there was some hope that the future would be brighter.


	2. Chapter 1

# Chapter 1

1 year later

The smash of the plate reflected everyone’s thoughts at that moment. It was such a shock that none of them could process it, not the smashing of the plate but the revelation Bruce had just made. 

“Y-you’re engaged?!” Clint said, not knowing if it was a question or a statement. 

Bruce’s gaze panned over the room seeing nothing but shocked faces from his fellow team members. It was true, he hadn’t expected them to jump for joy straight away but this was slightly insulting. Did they believe the green monster was so incapable of love? 

“Yes, yes I am,” He stated plainly. 

Seeing there was no point dragging this out longer than necessary he added, “And to Betty, by the way.” 

Silence continued as everyone attempted to sort through their thoughts in order to find their rational selves. It was not like them to be so lost. The pancakes Steve had been preparing for breakfast lay forgotten and cold on the floor as the plate they had once sat on was smashed into small china pieces. 

Bruce, now slightly bored of the whole situation, went to the fridge and tugged out the fresh carton of milk before heading to the cupboard that housed the cereal. He then settled himself at the long table and began to eat, his crunching being the only sound that interrupted the otherwise total silence. 

The Avengers, minus Tony, followed his actions around the kitchen still not being able to process anything. Marriage! It was a big deal. But being a member of the Avengers with tendencies to turn into a giant green angry monster made marriage seem impossible. And yet Bruce had just announced himself that it was going to happen. 

In a way they were all glad when Tony walked into the open plan room. At least he would have something to say and put an end to the awkward offending silence. 

“I smelt pancakes,” He said on entering then froze when he noticed the mess. “Err sorry if I’m stating the obvious but food is on the floor. Why is good food on the floor?” 

Bruce looked up, taking another mouthful of cereal, and gestured to Steve. 

“Okay someone talk your all scaring me. Point Break, are you in,” Tony waved a hand in Thor’s face before turning to Clint. “How about you, Legolas? What...nothing?” 

“They’re in shock.” 

Tony turned back to Bruce and took a seat opposite him. He studied the remnants of cereal in the others bowl deciding he wanted some too. Standing back up he collected the cereal box before ordering JARVIS to begin the coffee machine. 

“Right away Sir,” was the response he received before the room was abruptly filled with the sound of coffee brewing and soon the familiar smell wafted freely around the people still milling awkwardly. 

“So anyone going to share with me this mystery that seems to be causing everyone to act like they’re in a game of extreme musical statues?” 

“It’s not a secret, well not anymore. I’m engaged to Betty.” 

Tony, who had been sipping from his coffee-filled mug, choked and almost sprayed it across the table. For a few seconds he joined the others in stunned silence and confused expressions. Disgusted by the sprayed coffee, Bruce fetched a cloth and wiped it up. 

“Well now I understand all this.” 

Tony waved a hand lazily at Steve, Clint, Natasha and Thor who seemed, finally, to be returning to the real world. Natasha was the first to reach rational thoughts and sat down, a seat away from Tony, followed then by Steve who began to clean up the mess he had previously made in the kitchen. That left Clint and Thor. Clint looked extremely close to laughter or tears, Tony couldn’t tell which while Thor acted like nothing had happened and waited impatiently for more pancakes to be cooked. 

“No offence by this, but you and one person for the rest of your life. Really? How are you going to cope?” 

“We are not all like you Tony. We don’t need a new person to fill our bed every night. Bruce has been in this relationship for a while and seems happy so this makes sense,” Natasha said. 

Tony scoffed at this, resuming the sipping of his coffee until only the dregs remained. 

“Thank you Natasha for that excellent observation,” He replied sarcastically. “I would rather not point it out but haven’t you and Romeo over here been in a relationship for what, like forever and still not gone a step further.” 

Black Widow hissed menacingly at the snipe at her and Clint’s relationship but didn’t respond knowing it would only be more fuel for Tony’s fire. She had always been protective over her relationship and it was by a genuine mistake of Tony not knocking on a door that everyone had found out. No matter what, Tony wouldn’t keep his mouth shut about something like that. 

“Anyway that wasn’t my point. The point is that whenever this guy gets angry he goes crazy and turns into the Hulk and also what do you think Fury is going to say on the matter.” 

Appearing to be quite upset with these words Bruce remained quiet leaving everyone else to answer. No one did. They were all absorbed on their own thoughts on the matter. Fury was very unpredictable. One minute he was like any other normal human being, managing to communicate with other people in a civil way while there were other occasions where he was uncivil and demanding and wouldn’t rest until his demands were met. 

The whole conversation looked as if it was moving into dangerous territory where an argument could easily begin. Natasha was attempting to control her breathing while Clint sent her nervous glances. Tony was totally relaxed, reclining in his chair. And Steve had managed to cook enough pancakes to keep Thor satisfied. 

“So Tony when are you going to settle down?” Bruce asked, managing to dodge the worst of the spray as the man in front of him spat out his fresh drink. 

“I’m not. As some would say I am married to my work. All that romance and stuff, that’s not my thing.” 

“What? It’s got nothing to do with the fact that the only one you have ever loved ran off with someone else,” Natasha cut in, determined to make Tony pay for what he had said about her. 

That did make Tony freeze. He hadn’t allowed himself much time to think about Pepper running off with another member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Well she hadn’t even run off. She had told Tony straight about her new relationship and he was the one being immature about it, though he would never admit that. Pepper had been the only one he had ever thought he had loved and now she was gone which had left him quite lonely and seriously worried about his life choices. 

Knowing everyone was watching him for his reaction, he decided to play it cool. 

“No I just don’t like the idea of having to put up with one person for the rest of my life both in the bedroom and out.” 

This statement made Steve retreat back to the oven and pretend to be busy. Sex was an uncomfortable subject for him to say the least. Tony smirked at that before reaching over to get another mug of black coffee. 

“And anyway no one likes me and I defiantly don’t like anyone myself so looks like I’ll be alone for a little while longer.” 

To everyone’s surprise, Thor began to chuckle. Sitting straight in his chair he surveyed all his team members with a wide smile plastered on his face. 

“Something funny?” 

“It is nothing except you are not the first to say that this morning, Man of Iron, my brother said almost the exact same thing not so long ago.” 

At the mention of Loki all the Avengers became more alert. Not in a way where they were ready for an unexpected attack, just more aware to their surroundings. Over Loki’s first year with them there had been a lot of ups and downs. Most of the downs were because of Loki and his continued imprisonment in the tower. But time passed quickly, though, and soon he was accepted as one of their own. 

It was easier than they ever first thought it would be to live with him and not once did he ever try anything remotely evil or anything that involved taking over the world. However he had played a few pranks on the residence of the tower because after all he was the god of mischief and no one could argue with that. And most of the time the results were highly amusing. 

There had been some rough times like when the world had found out about Loki’s punishment to stay on Earth and help make amends for his wrongdoings. Press had been everywhere and, despite all their efforts, the Avengers could not protect him all the time. So once or twice he was cornered and bombarded with questions and flashing cameras or else had abuse shouted at him from all sides. 

Despite being accepted as almost an Avenger, none of the team had ever tried to get close to him apart from Thor. They could hold conversations with him or even go as far as working with him but that was as far as it ever got. Apparently Loki just wasn’t friend material. The only one that had ever been able to truly talk to him was Tony although, if asked, he wouldn’t admit it. 

“Maybe you should get with Loki. I mean you both had messed up childhoods, no offence Thor,” Clint raised his hands as a peace offering to the blond god who appeared to be angered and hurt by his words. “And he actually seems to listen when you talk but doesn’t to anyone else.” 

Tony knew it was a joke but couldn’t help thinking about it. Imagine him with Loki. In a relationship. No. NO! That just wasn’t even worth thinking about, and yet he was. Him and Loki holding hands, him and Loki kissing, him and Loki... Wait where did all this come from he thought to himself. He definitely didn’t like Loki and was even less inclined to date him. 

“No thank you, Ex-psychopaths with tendencies to throw people out windows aren’t really my type.” 

Abruptly Thor stood, struggling to contain a snarl. 

“My brother is not a psychopath and never was. He is misunderstood! Now if you would excuse me I must go and...” He didn’t bother finishing, instead just hurried out the room. 

“Nice one Stark, really well done.” 

“I was just saying what everyone was thinking, Capcicle, and don’t even deny it. When he first came here you were all against him and wanted him out. You all thought he was crazy and let’s face it he was.” 

There was silence. None of them could reject his words because they were true. That is exactly what they had first thought of Loki. On the first few nights of him staying in the tower they had all slept badly with weapons concealed in or near their beds. 

For many days Tony had worn his bracelets that allowed his Ironman suit to build itself around him because apparently there was room for the god nowhere else in the tower so he had to take up residence on his floor. The genius hadn’t warmed to the idea but thought it best that at least he knew where Loki was. 

“So sorry to deprive you all of my presence but I have work to do, being the important man I am.” Tony made his way across the room. Before he disappeared down to his workshop he added. “And when I come back up I expect my kitchen to be spotless. I don’t see why you can’t just use your own.” 

Steve was the only one that said goodbye; the others paid no attention and carried on to polish off the fresh pancakes that Thor had left untouched. 

For a while they didn’t speak and just enjoyed the silence that Tony had left behind. Then a stroke of brilliance struck Clint and he almost went into a crazed fit of laughter. Natasha sent him a what the hell are you doing you moron look while the others just watched in silent wonderment. 

“Are you okay,” Steve asked, his tone showing his concern. 

“I have just got an amazingly brilliant if not slightly crazy idea.” 

None of the group answered but they leant closer with mild interest. It must be a good idea if it was sending Cling to the brink of uncontrollable hysterics. 

“Well you know how Tony is sad and alone and you know how Loki is sad and alone, maybe we should get them together.” 

“For god’s sake that is what you just said,” Natasha said, exasperated. 

“No not as a joke, I mean for real like make a plan and force them together. And before you say it yes I still hate Loki’s guts but I’m also terribly bored and could do with a laugh.” 

A thoughtful silence followed his words as everyone contemplated his point. They could all do with a laugh, but at one of their owns expense? Were they all that heartless? Hell yes, they could do with a laugh. 

“I’m in,” Natasha announced. “Maybe it will finally make Stark shut up about us. How about you, Steve?” 

“I don’t know. Tony is our friend and it seems harsh to do this but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to be involved. It’s not like we will be locking them in a room together for hours on end.” 

Not yet anyway Clint thought to himself. 

Bruce, who hadn’t said a word in some time, chose that moment to give his input. Leaning back on his chair so the front legs only just brushed the cold wood flooring, he remained looking thoughtful for another moment before saying in his slow calming tone, “I’m in too but I’m not sure what I can do to help. And if this goes wrong or Tony finds out, I will not accept the blame. Oh and I wouldn’t mention this plan of yours to Thor because he will probably be very angry and say you are attempting to defile his brother.” 

Knowing his warnings were wise Clint nodded in agreement. 

“Also make sure that Loki doesn’t find out because he might just throttle us in our sleep,” he joked, but the warning was deadly serious. 

Loki, with his long jet black hair and tall frame, was still menacing even without his Asgardian leathers and weapons. The thought of him finding out about their little scheme was truly terrifying. Even though he had lived with the team for a year they still couldn’t read him. His expression was always impassive so they had trouble working out what he was thinking. He was a closed book and would remain that way only until someone was brave enough to turn the first page and attempt to read the difficult mess of words within. 

They all knew that he wasn’t the emotionless, heartless soul he professed to be but he had not yet made a mistake and let any emotion show so they didn’t hold their breath. One day his barriers would be broken and the mess inside would be revealed. But until that day the team was content to just live with the unreadable being that was Loki. 

“Do you have any ideas about what you are going to do? And just out of curiosity what happens if it does work? What are you going to do if they do start dating?” 

“I have absolutely no idea, Cap, but if the time comes where they are together I will think about how good my prediction skills are and probably worry about both their sanities. Though I highly doubt it will happen and, in answer to your other question, I do have some ideas but I will not be sharing them yet.” 

At that precise moment Loki entered the room. He swept forward in total silence and made for the washing machine. In one swift movement he bent down and tugged out a freshly washed towel before heading straight back out without a word. 

“Good morning to you too,” Natasha muttered after Loki was out of earshot. 

“Just be thankful that he didn’t hear us,” Bruce said, pouring the remainder of the coffee into his mug and adding two sugars. 

Breakfast continued in pleasant silence, the remaining occupants at the table going into their own little worlds. Unfortunately the peace didn’t last as long as they would have wished because Tony shortly came tearing into the room. 

“Please say you haven’t blown something up again,” Steve said before he could even open his mouth. 

“Such low expectations for a genius like me. No I haven’t but there was a small fire but it’s sorted now. Anyway I came to say I need some help with part of my work later, any of you wonderful people care to help?” 

“Flattery won’t work Stark.” Natasha sent him a scathing look. “And Clint and I have a meeting with Fury later so we’re out.” 

Tony huffed then turned to Steve and Bruce, a pleading glint in his usually amused dark brown eyes. Bruce announced that he had to meet with Betty so he couldn’t help which only left Steve. 

“Um I’ll see Tony, I might be busy. You could always ask Thor.” 

The look on his face was hard to say no to. It was full of hope and disappointment that it was almost believable but the team knew better. They knew Tony. His expression was fake, he would never plead with them. Tony Stark did not beg. 

“No I can’t use Point Break, his hands are too big,” Tony said. 

He turned to leave seeing as there wasn’t much point staying. Food wasn’t being prepared anymore and everyone seemed to just want to be left in peace. This meant that his continued presence was probably getting on his teams nerves. Natasha wasn’t pretty when she was angry. 

“Wait Tony,” Clint shouted after him. The genius spun on the balls of his feet to face his team member. “Take this to Loki’s room on your way.” 

With excellent aim, the archer threw a book which sailed straight to where Tony’s hands waited to receive it. 

“Suppose I don’t have much choice now.” 

Tony left and all eyes fell on Clint who had a smirk plastered on his face. 

“The book is actually Loki’s, Thor left it for him earlier and I was going to give it to him later but I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to begin our plan.” 

With that he smiled widely then sighed contentedly. He was going to enjoy this, he thought to himself as he heard shouting begin from down the hall in the direction of Loki’s room. He was going to enjoy this very much. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou for reading, I hope you are enjoying this and please leave a comment if you have time :)


	3. Chapter 2

# Chapter 2 

Tony strode down the wide corridor heading towards Loki’s room, muttering under his breath all the new ideas and improvements he had for his Ironman suit. Glancing down he remembered the book that had just been tossed at him. 

Ducking his head he looked carefully at the cover of the book. It clearly wasn’t from modern day America because all the books Tony had ever seen had bold titles printed in clear colourful fonts. The front cover of this book was a reddish brown leather with an intricate gold pattern adorning all four edges. A delicate clasp held the book closed that actually turned out to be surprisingly strong. Tony finally undid the clasp and the book fell open in his hands. 

If he was thinking the book was odd before it was nothing compared to what he was thinking now. Such a creation could never come from Earth. This book had to be Asgardian. On the inside it was totally hand written, the ink fading slightly with age, and in an unknown language. The characters were beautifully written and were made up of intricate marks or else long fluid strokes. 

Turning the pages gently Tony marvelled at the new images he came across. Occasionally he stumbled upon a drawing that was just as flawless as the rest of the book. He wished more than anything that he could understand the language. He wanted to translate the texts and learn all he could from them. They were too intriguing and held too much meaning that he had no hope of understanding. 

Before he could dwell too much on the book however he reached his destination, Loki’s room. Sighing heavily at not having more time alone with the book Tony knocked carelessly on the door and waited for a reply. No one answered. Figuring Loki was off in some hidden place in the tower, he entered. 

Since Loki had moved into this room Tony had only been inside a few times, with the demi-god’s permission of course. The genius planned to just quickly slip in, drop the book on the bed, before hurriedly exiting again. He didn’t want him to know he had been in his private room without permission. 

He was distracted however by how vastly the room had changed since his last venture inside. It was no longer the plain drab spare room it had first been. Now it was furnished with wonderfully crafted furniture made of a dark wood with engraved elaborate gold patterns for decoration. The walls were still the same plain colour they had been previously but with the curtains still closed over the windows only dim light lit the room casting strange yet captivating shadows across them. 

To Tony it felt like the room had power, like it absorbed all energy from around and used it to radiate a beautiful sense of peace through the shadows and the colours. He had never felt anything like it before. 

There was a sound of another door opening, which led to Loki’s bathroom, and then he appeared. At first glance Tony thought Loki was naked. But on doing a quick subconscious flick down with his eyes he realised there was a towel tied neatly around his waist that ended just below his kneecaps. 

“Stark,” Loki said warily, clearly in shock by the sudden appearance of the genius. 

“Um, yeah hi, sorry about this. I was asked to...and not really knowing...I had no idea you were...” His words died away as he gave up trying to explain why he was where he was. 

He was panicking, and not just because he had just been caught in Loki’s room by Loki, but because no matter how awkward the situation was, he couldn’t take his eyes off the god before him. 

Loki’s pale skin stood out in the soft light, glittering with the water droplets left behind from his shower. They ran down his toned arms and muscular chest, ending their journey at the edge of his towel that did an amazing job of hinting about what lay lower. 

Tony knew he looked like a total idiot so he thought best to just do what he came to do. 

“Here, Clint said to give you this.” 

He stepped closer and handed over the book before retreating hastily. 

“You read it,” Loki said calmly, examining the book. 

“Well yes, I opened it but I can’t read it. It’s in a weird language.” 

“The language is not weird, Stark, it is of Asgard and therefore your small mind would have no hope deciphering it,” Loki spat, his voice growing in volume. 

“Wow slow down there, Reindeer Games, I was only returning it. Least you could do is say thank you.” 

A venomous look was shot his way and he knew he would never be thanked. But come on, it was worth a try. It was also worth provoking Loki just to see the expressions on his face as he attempted to gain control over his anger. 

“Just get out, now!” He all but shouted. 

Tony did as he was told but did it with a smirk plastered on his face. If he was being forced to leave he might as well look happy about it. 

When he was back out in the corridor, however, he rethought over the events that had just taken place. He swore under his breath as he remembered staring at Loki like he was a brand new bike and Tony was a seven year old boy. The problem was that he didn’t know why he had done it. He was a genius and yet even he couldn’t come up with an answer. 

Thinking it was best to leave that thought alone, he flounced off back into the open plan living room slash kitchen. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Clint struggled to contain his laughter as the shouting ended and a door was slammed. Obviously Loki wasn’t very pleased to see Tony. The others were not quite sure whether they should laugh or not but when Tony rounded the corner the look on his face sealed it and soon they too were furiously trying to not burst into fits of giggles. 

“Yeah thanks for that, Legolas. You didn’t think there was a possibility Loki wouldn’t want a visit in the morning.” 

The archer just shrugged in response before pulling Natasha out of her chair and exiting via the lift. The doors clicked shut and a soft hum emanated from it for a second while the lift descended to the ground floor. After the pair had left, Bruce excused himself a few minutes after saying it was time to meet Betty. That left Tony and Steve. Thor still hadn’t returned from when he had left before. 

“Are you going to help me later, Capcicle, or what?” 

“Sorry I...I have somewhere to be,” Steve replied, averting his eyes from Tony’s. 

Just after Tony had left with the book, Clint had specifically told him to make up an excuse as to why he couldn’t help with Tony’s work. If Steve was busy that would only leave Loki to aid him as the genius had said himself that Thor was just not physically able. 

“Oh yeah, where?” God he wished he hadn’t stumbled on his words. Tony wasn’t an idiot, he knew something wasn’t right. 

He was saved from answering the dangerous question by Loki’s sudden appearance. Just like normal, he walked in without a word and headed straight for the kettle, which he flicked on. The water within bubbled as it heated up while Loki collected a mug from one cupboard and a teabag from another. 

Since being made to stay on Midgard and forced to eat their food and taste their drinks he had acquired a taste for tea. The ordinary stuff was good but he also enjoyed fruit teas and herbal teas. His all time favourite being peppermint tea which he prepared for himself now. 

Tony paid no attention to his actions in the kitchen, he just focussed on him. Not ten minutes ago Loki had been wearing only a towel and now here he stood in well fitting dark jeans and a plain button down shirt. The image of his perfect skin and toned body was forever embedded in Tony’s mind. 

“I’m going to meet Pepper for lunch,” Steve suddenly said a bit too loudly. 

He knew it was a terrible excuse but in Tony’s state of shock and still not really speaking to his employee meant that he probably wouldn’t question his reason. 

“Right yeah,” Tony replied absentmindedly. 

The kettle finished boiling. Loki grabbed it by the handle and carefully poured the water into his mug. Then he reached into a draw and pulled out a spoon which he used to stir his drink. Looking satisfied with his work he turned round and stared at the pair before him as though he expected them to perform a show. 

“So anyway I will see you later Tony,” The captain hurriedly said, escaping to the lift which descended with him inside. 

A silent alarm started to ring in the back of Tony’s mind as he saw the hem of Steve’s baggy jeans disappear behind the sliding doors. He was alone with Loki, again! More than anything he wished he was still in his lab away from people and distractions and especially away from the Norse god that still stood staring directly at him. 

Loki was perfectly relaxed where he stood, watching Tony writhe under his intense gaze. It was fun making him feel so uncomfortable particularly because it was his house and yet Loki could still manipulate him so easily. 

The genius could feel the pull of his lab calling to him. He wanted to answer its call and bury himself in his work and forget about the day so far but he could not. Remembering the problem he was having, he realised he still needed assistance. Then he rethought over all the possible Avengers that could help but remembered that each one was busy. Great. Just great. There was only one other that could help and they were the last person he wanted to spend the afternoon with. 

“I need your help with something.” 

As long as he doesn’t protest the day might not be a total fiasco, Tony thought. But obviously, being Loki, it was never going to be easy. 

“Can no one else aid you?” 

“No, they are all out minus Thor but he just isn’t built right for this. I need someone with kinda small hands or who can do complicated sciencey stuff and that just isn’t him.” 

“You believe I am capable of such things?” Loki asked, leaning in slightly. 

Tony noticed the small movement and tried to step back but he collided with a cupboard door whose handle dug into his back. Trying not to show his discomfort, he replied bluntly, “Yes.” 

The god of mischief smirked, clearly amused by this response. 

“How very flattering, Stark.” A few seconds pause. “Will we be working on your suit?” 

“Nope, no offence Rudolf but I only trust you as far as I can throw you.” 

Loki’s smirk slipped slightly at the mention of this stupid nickname. He had no idea how it related to him but apparently to Tony it was highly amusing. Still, enjoying the power he had over Tony, Loki continued. 

“Oh I hardly think that’s fair. This past year I have been helping your team with nothing short of my best ability and yet you still can’t find it within your metal heart to trust me. Not even a little bit.” His words dripped with so much sarcasm Tony could almost taste its bitter flavour. 

What possessed Tony to say what he said next, he did not know. It just came out. He meant nothing by it but the reaction he received told a different story. 

“My heart might be made of metal but at least mine isn’t ice cold. Mine at least can still beat but yours is just frozen in place.” 

As soon as it was said he wished he hadn’t. Honestly he had no excuse for it. Maybe it had just come out because of the anger from earlier and because of how stupid he had felt in Loki’s room but, as said before, he meant nothing by it. 

Loki, however, recoiled immediately looking shocked and extremely hurt. Raw pure pained emotion washed away his cockiness and his usual strong proud demeanour. Tony had never seen the god looking so weak and vulnerable. Some unknown place inside him whispered to him to pull Loki close and hold him, of course he restrained. 

Soon Loki recovered himself, though refused to make eye contact with Tony. Instead he shuffled over to the lift that would take himself and Tony down to Tony’s lab. 

“Are we doing this work or not,” He said, tying as best he could to regain his usual strong confident tone. It was a good attempt but on the last two words his voice wavered and his words came out choked. 

What had Tony said that was so wrong? What unknown line had he crossed that had caused Loki to act so unlike himself? Not having any of the answers, Tony admitted defeat and headed off after the now very quiet god. 

The afternoon passed a lot slower than Tony would have liked. Loki spoke when necessary and occasionally asked questions but most of the time he remained deep in thought. Often when Tony turned around Loki would just be staring into space with unreadable expressions crossing his very troubled face. 

Tony, being the impatient genius he was, needed answers. Who better to ask than Thor? Loki’s sort of brother. No matter how smart he was, Tony still couldn’t get to grips with the two gods relationship and planned to question that as well along with the sudden silence that followed his previous outburst. 

Though not proud to admit it he had begun to read up on Norse mythology just to gain an idea of the how’s and the whys between the pair. All he had come up with so far was some strange facts when he skim read through long pieces of text. 

He planned to corner Thor later on and ask him all the questions that were buzzing round in his overcrowded brain. Then he reasoned with himself and realised a more relaxed casual approach would be a lot more successful when dealing with this god. Despite popular belief, the golden god wasn’t as stupid as people thought and would most probably see through Tony’s excuses when he actually came up with them himself. 

So Tony just had to wait for the right opportunity. Well crap. He wasn’t the patient type. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“Hey Thor I need to talk to you about something,” Tony said, as Thor made to walk past him towards the kitchen. 

“What is it, Man of Iron? I will do my best to help you.” 

They walked into the deserted kitchen and took seats at the island where a bowl of fresh fruit sat in the centre. Tony lent forward and grabbed a handful of grapes before turning back to the blond god. 

“It’s about Loki.” Okay maybe this wasn’t coming out as nonchalant as he had hoped. 

Thor sat up straighter in his chair, a mixture of panic and confusion crossing his bearded face. 

“Has my brother been causing mischief? If so I must go and speak with him right away.” 

“No no no,” Tony said hurriedly, popping another grape into his mouth. “It’s nothing like that I just wanted to ask you some questions about him.” The god who sat before him seemed extremely surprised by this but Tony pressed on. His patience was waning. He needed some answers now. “First of all, what happened to him after he first left Earth because he was gone for a month or so before he came back for his trial?” 

Made uncomfortable by the question, Thor shifted uneasily in his seat thinking of the best way to answer. 

“When we returned to Asgard the Aesir kept him under lock and key and punished him for his crimes. You Midgardian’s do not allow physical punishments so the Aesir thought it necessary to...perform such things before he was handed over to you.” 

Tony was very glad when Thor didn’t elaborate. His mind was now plagued with images of a frail Loki locked away in a dark dungeon blood trickling from wounds that the Aesir had inflicted upon him. He wanted to ask why Thor had done nothing to stop it but felt that that would piss off the god too much. It would also be cruel to him. By the look on Thor’s face he obviously was disgusted by Loki’s punishment too. 

“Right okay, next question. Earlier I was talking to him and he insulted me saying something like I have a metal heart or whatever and so I said something along the lines of at least my heart isn’t cold and frozen like yours. Sounds really petty, I know,” He joked, trying to defuse some of the tension that had crept up between the pair. Thor didn’t laugh. “But after I said it he acted all weird and looked really hurt by it and I don’t get why so I just wondered if you knew.” 

When Tony stopped speaking it appeared as though Thor was frozen. He stared straight into the genius’s dark chocolate eyes not saying a word. The silence stretched on which started to make Tony extremely bored. He tossed the last few grapes into his mouth, chewing on them loudly and deliberately trying to interrupt Thor’s thoughts and bring him back to the real world. 

“I am sorry Tony but I cannot answer your question for it is not my place,” Thor answered, his voice more husky than usual. “If you wish to know the answer to your question you must ask Loki yourself. Now I must go, I have things to attend to.” 

The god got up to leave but Tony called him back. 

“Wait what? I don’t understand. Did I say something really wrong or offensive or something?” 

“I cannot answer your question but I will say this. Do not grow to care for my brother anymore. He is troubled and will not take kindly to you. He will believe it to be a game and he will play his part well. He is a trickster and a god of lies so I will warn you to not get involved with him.” 

With that he marched out the room without a backwards glance leaving Tony with even more questions than before. 

What had all that meant? Tony thought to himself, picking another handful of grapes and chewing each one slowly. Why was Thor warning him? _Do not grow to care for my brother anymore._ Did Thor think that Tony cared about Loki? And what had he meant about it being a game and about Loki playing his part well? _Not get involved with him._ Did that mean in a friendship or otherwise? A relationship...with Loki? _He will play his part well._

Lately Tony had been thinking about Loki differently but not that differently. He was just realising there was more to him than the crazy power-hungry god that had attempted to take over the world a year or more ago. Now that he wasn’t working with creepy aliens he actually seemed quite normal, well as normal as Loki could get. He was seeing Loki in a new light and it wasn’t at all as bad as he first thought. 

He was too tried for this. Standing up, he walked to his bedroom and flopped down on the cover hoping to fall into an uninterrupted dreamless sleep. 


	4. Chapter 3

# Chapter 3 

“Come on Tasha it will be fun,” Clint pleaded, tugging on Natasha’s arm. 

She looked up at him from her place on the sofa and sighed deeply, giving up all hope for a peaceful morning. 

“Fine we’ll go but if you all get drunk off your faces I won’t be dragging you back here.” 

“Who’s dragging what where?” Tony asked, strutting into the living room where all the other Avengers were gathered. 

He flopped down next to Steve who shifted over to make room. Being late morning the team had nothing better to do with their time. None of them had been assigned any missions by Fury so they were all having a lazy day just relaxing and talking. 

“We are all going out tonight, to a bar or something. Natasha was saying that if you get drunk you can crawl home alone,” Steve answered. 

Tony shrugged then rested his head back against the sofa. His plan for a relaxing sleep last night had not gone totally how he wanted it to. Instead he had been kept awake by his mind continually trying to work out Thor’s answer. When his mind had reached a level of exhaustion even it couldn’t fight, Tony had dropped into a world of strange dreams, all containing a certain god with startlingly green eyes. 

Some of the dreams had been the usual average run of the mill thing where he was just talking or working and Loki happened to appear, while others were strange but hazy. He could only remember short scenes of two bodies pushing against each other, fighting for dominance, their mouths locked together in a furious battle trying to break the others control. Hands running over the others body moving tortuously slow as they made their way lower. 

Tony had awoken abruptly and sat up panting. Cold sweat covered his body in a thin layer causing him to shiver. Thinking there was no chance of him sleeping now, he climbed out of bed and hurried into his bathroom ordering JARVIS to switch the shower on. He hoped the water would wash all memories of the dreams away down the plughole so there would be no need to panic. Of course, it didn’t work. 

However, the shower had calmed his nerves. So when he dried himself and pulled on some clothes he was no longer shaking and when he glanced at himself in the mirror he looked entirely normal. 

“If it is okay with all of you I would like to invite my brother along. It would be good for him to go out and possibly have fun,” Thor said, distracting Tony from his musings. 

“Yeah invite him. It would be nice to see him actually smile for once and it will make up the numbers because Bruce can’t come,” Steve replied, grinning widely. 

Natasha nodded in agreement while Clint shrugged, not really caring if Loki joins them. Then something seemed to click into place in his head and he suddenly looked over at Tony, smirking slightly. 

“Tony, go and tell Loki will you.” 

Tony stared at Clint before answering, “Uh no. Last time I went in his room he had a hissy fit and I would rather not repeat that.” Obviously he wasn’t going to tell them he walked in while the god was nearly naked. 

“It will give you a chance to mend the bond between you,” the archer replied sarcastically. 

He considered this for a second and thought that it would be a good time to question Loki about the whole frozen heart incident. That was something he definitely wanted to do away from the others, especially if Loki acted the way he did before. 

“Fine then,” He huffed, feigning exasperation. “But if I die you can explain to Fury why his best man can no longer defend the world.” 

Clint just waved his hand at Tony before watching him exit the room, a grin plastered firmly back on his face. After he was out of earshot Natasha turned her gaze on Clint. 

“If you keep being that obvious he will notice something. No matter how much we deny it, he is a genius.” 

The archer shifted next to her and draped his arm over her shoulders. Leaning in he pressed a kiss lightly to her cheek then answered, “That’s the point, being a genius he thinks too much into stuff so he will never notice anything so obvious.” 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The room was colder than he would have liked but Loki couldn’t bring himself to ask Tony about warming it. Was it really that hard to talk to the genius? His answer was yes. And he definitely wasn’t going to talk to Tony after what happened the last time. 

He shouldn’t have let those words get to him. Tony hadn’t known what they meant so it should have been easy to ignore and pretend that it meant nothing. But the snipe at hit him somewhere that he hadn’t known existed. It was somewhere that stored all those feelings of not belonging, about being different, about not being accepted. He had not thought about those feelings for a long time and now they were back. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Loki shuffled back on his bed and pulled the cover up and draped it over himself. Settling down he reached over to the small table beside him and picked up the book Tony had given back. He flicked the clasp open with ease before sitting back against the pillows. 

With the duvet now wrapped around him, Loki soon began to relax as the warmth washed over him. There was a knock on his door. Assuming it to be Thor, he ignored it as it wasn’t likely to be something important. After a few seconds of silence there was another knock. Obviously Thor wasn’t giving up. 

Being warm now Loki couldn’t bring himself to move and answer the door. However the knocking continued for another minute which started to annoy him. Thor must think that whatever he has to say this time is very important, Loki thought to himself. His thought was interrupted by another, more forceful, knock. 

“What in Valhalla is so important Thor?” He shouted 

Taking that answer as an invitation inside, the door opened revealing Tony Stark. 

“Er sorry to disappoint but I’m not Thor.” 

Closing the book and sitting up a little straighter, Loki looked over the man before him with scrutinizing eyes. He wore very simple clothes, old jeans and a faded black shirt with a ridiculous print on the front for something called Black Sabbath. Whatever the hell that was. Still the clothes fit well and Loki couldn’t help admitting they looked good. 

The god thought it best not to continue staring, so instead switched his gaze to the man’s face. 

“What do you want, Stark?” 

Tony edged further into the room so he was able to push up the door before turning back to Loki and answering. “We’re all going out tonight and we wondered if you wanted to come.” Where was all this we coming from? It had definitely been Thor’s idea, not anyone else’s. 

He expected Loki to laugh at him and say no or else yell at him to get out again. Instead an expression of thoughtfulness crossed the god’s face then a small smile formed on his lips and he nodded. 

“I shall join you on this evening. It sounds to be quite an interesting event, let’s hope the outcomes are just as entertaining.” 

“Right,” Tony said, wondering if there was a secret meaning behind that that he didn’t know. In a way he didn’t want to know. 

“Was there anything else?” Loki asked, watching Tony shift his weight from foot to foot. 

The genius met his green eyes with his own coffee brown pair for a second before breaking the contact and taking a tentative step closer. “Yeah there was something else,” He began, trying not to focus on the way Loki’s body adjusted to himself moving closer. “The other day when I said about the frozen heart thing....well I just wondered what the hell that was about. I asked Thor and-“ 

“What did he say?” Loki cut in sharply. 

“He told me I should ask you myself and then he just started to say all this stuff that made no sense so yeah. I thought I should ask you.” 

“Do you care Stark?” The god asked after a few seconds. 

Tony was taken aback by the question and so didn’t reply for a while. With an unreadable expression on his face, Loki observed him closely as though looking for something in Tony’s own expression that could not be clearly seen. 

“About you? No, not really. I just like to know stuff. That’s what comes with being a genius, always wanting to know everything-“ 

Loki raised a hand to silence his ramblings then began to talk himself. “So you do not believe us to be friends nor have any connection to one another.” Not knowing where this was going, Tony shook his head. “And yet you still expect me to answer a personal question that has no relevance to you what so ever.” 

Having nothing to say in reply, Tony just watched dumbly as Loki shifted on the bed and got to his feet so he was standing just in front of him. Being over six ft tall he was at least a head taller than Tony making him feel rather intimidated. Some thought in the back his mind, though, was telling him how good and exhilarating it was to be standing so close to the god of mischief. Thinking it best to bury that thought, Tony looked up into his face. Well that was a mistake. 

From this angle he could see every line of his jaw that curved up into high set cheekbones. His pale skin seemed as smooth as marble and Tony had to fight against his urge to reach out and brush his fingers over it. But Loki’s eyes were the thing that caused him to be totally lost for words. Their piercing green surface was just a cover that led to the deeper depths of darker green that lay below. These depths captured Tony and held him prisoner. He could not escape and strangely he didn’t want to. 

“Are you quite finished?” Loki asked, a smirk playing on his pale pink lips. 

Tony stayed frozen for another few seconds, the only thought clear in his mind was shouting _Oh fuck oh fuck, he saw me staring. Run you idiot RUN!_

Not having any idea how to defend himself, he decided not to bother and just go with the flow. “Yeah I’m done,” He said, sounding exactly like his usual insufferably annoying self. “Just wanted to appreciate the view for as long as I could.” 

Eyebrows raised, Loki looked down at Tony with an almost surprised expression on his face. “Very well...Are we done here or do you still have things you wish to ask?” 

“Naa I think we’re done. See you tonight Reindeer Games.” With that Tony left shutting the door behind him. Once on the outside he silently cursed himself and Loki. Why did the guy have to be so damn manipulating? Whenever he was faced with the god alone all he did was make an idiot out of himself. 

Turning swiftly he made to punch the wall next to Loki’s door but thought better of it. Instead he rested his arm on the wall before leaning his whole body against it and groaning quietly. He had got to stop getting like this. Whenever he was faced with Loki this happened. Not one else, no, just Loki. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The evening came around quicker than expected. As the sun started to set over Manhattan the Avengers plus Loki gathered together and made their way down to the ground floor. 

To the groups surprise there were a lot of people milling around, having quiet conversations, that all seemed to stop suddenly as they appeared and exited the lift. Most of the looks they received were quick carefree glances while others were long lingering stares that followed them all the way to the glass doors. 

Once outside the world seemed to click back into motion and everything resumed its usual speed again. They set off along the path having small discussions between them. Tony led the way, having the best knowledge of local bars out of them all. 

Loki walked at the back of the group not joining in on the conversations. Being out in public wasn’t such a big deal for him anymore. Occasionally he was sent funny glances or abusive comments but it had been a year since his attack on the Earth and since then there had been a lot more threats which meant he was no longer S.H.I.E.L.D’s number one threat. 

Having his magic bound was also a reason not many cared anymore. People assumed that magic was his only source of power and with that gone he just seemed like a stupid spoilt child fighting for his father’s love. The Avengers knew this wasn’t the truth. 

Absently, Loki rubbed the gold bracelets around his wrists, feeling the slight fizz of the magic encased within them. He missed himself. He missed his magic and everything that went with it. Being basically human was the worst feeling he had ever experienced and he vowed to himself to live out his punishment until his magic was allowed to him again. Then he would travel far away and never look back. 

“Hey Rudolf, where are you going?” 

The sudden shout brought Loki to his senses and he turned around abruptly. He realised the others had stopped outside a bar but he, being totally lost in thought, had walked straight past without realising. Taking a few steps back to the team he was soon pulled by his arm to Thor’s side. 

“Come along brother. Tonight you shall enjoy all new wonders of Midgardian culture.” The god of thunder carried on his ramblings while pulling Loki inside, leaving the others to pile in after. 

Inside the room was mostly dark. Very dim lights were the only things that lit the room, casting long dark shadows on the walls. The room was large with the bar set in the centre where people jostled around, attempting to order drinks and dance at the same time. Music pounded from massive speakers that sat in the four corners of the room so there was no escaping the loud heavy beats issuing from them. 

“Tony I thought you said you were taking us to a bar, as in a quiet place to have a drink or two, not a club full of horny kids,” Natasha yelled, attempting to be heard over the music. 

“I’m sorry is this too hip for you? Come on, if you want to party you’ve gotta do it right.” 

With that he strutted off into the sea of people before them. In seconds he was swallowed up and no one could see where he had vanished off to. 

“Come on let’s get some drinks and try and find a place to sit,” Natasha said. Not knowing if anyone heard, she grabbed Clint’s sleeve and dragged him off to the bar with the others following closely behind. 

The first hour or two dragged by with varying levels of boredom. Tony still hadn’t returned from his wandering and Thor still wouldn’t shut up about the wonders of Midgard. Slowly the alcohol began to kick in and the group began to loosen up. Clint and Natasha broke away from the others, making their way to the dance floor. 

Huffing loudly, though no one could hear, Loki drained the last of his drink having nothing else better to do. He could feel a headache coming and it wasn’t just down to the blaring music. For some reason, whether alcohol induced or not, Thor would not be quiet. For every minute of silence he got from the god was three filled with none stop chatting. He needed to escape or he might explode. 

Without saying a word he got to his feet and headed in the basic direction of the bar, having no actual intention of ordering another drink. Though not wanting to admit it out loud, he thought that Midgard had a very good taste in drinks and he looked forward to trying more of their odd concoctions. 

“You don’t come here often,” A bright voice said right behind him. 

“No I don’t,” Loki answered, twisting to face this unknown stranger. 

“No, I would defiantly remember a face like yours,” The man replied, quirking an eyebrow seductively. 

The god couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the man. He seemed so sure of himself and how he acted that he didn’t realise he sounded stupid. 

Loki looked the man up and down taking in the man’s clothes before settling on studying his face. Black denim jeans clung tightly to his long legs and he wore a loose button up checked shirt that he wore open over a tighter grey t-shirt. He had light blue eyes that were startlingly bright yet friendly in appearance. A wide smile was plastered on his lips that lit up his whole face and caused small wrinkles to form at the corners of his eyes. Dark soft blond hair sat in a heap on his head looking elegantly scruffy. On a whole he was not at all bad to look at. 

“So can I get you a drink? My names Andrew by the way,” Andrew said cheerfully. 

Not wanting to rejoin Thor and the captain, Loki threw all rational thinking out the window and accepted. 

“Cool, so you ever going to tell me your name?” Andrew asked after he ordered them both a drink from the harassed looking bartender. 

“It’s...um, Tony.” 

What? He could have said anything, any random made up name but he had to say Tony? Oh did Loki really care? It was just a spur of the moment thing; obviously he couldn’t say his real name. 

“Tony, really? I never thought you would suit a name like that. You seem like you should have an unusual mysterious name. I don’t mean it in a bad way though,” He finished quickly. 

“Yes well I never thought it suited me either.” Okay now starting to get slightly out of hand, change the topic and change it fast. 

The conversation between Andrew and Loki continued on for some time. They discussed all kinds of things from the awful music taste of the club to hair care products; though the latter was more ranted about by Andrew while Loki let his thoughts wander. 

At these moments when he allowed his mind to run free, it seemed to always crawl back to the same thought, Tony Stark. Whether it had started because of the fake name, Loki did not know but every time his interest in the conversation waned his thoughts would always return to the arrogant genius. With his sassy comments and irritating smirk Loki couldn’t help but admit he was intrigued by the man. 

To the world he came across as a rich playboy that had women falling at his feet and who cared only for himself. But somehow Loki knew there was more to him. Hidden behind the confident uncaring demeanour there was a man that not many people realised was there. That man was every bit the Tony Stark stereotype the Press wrote about but he was also so much more. And though he hid it well, Loki could still see the real Tony underneath and that Tony interested him a lot. 


	5. Chapter 4

# Chapter 4

The atmosphere and alcohol had started to go to his head making his body buzz and his vision blur slightly at the edges. This didn’t faze him, though, because he had been far more intoxicated before and yet still managed to be okay. 

Fighting through the mass of people he went in search of company. Or rather the company he had begun his evening with. Even though he was not totally with it he could still place one foot in front of the other steadily and walk in a reasonably straight line. 

After a few minutes of laborious pushing he broke away from the crowds of people and was able to get a clear view of the other spaces around. Spotting who he was searching for quickly, he hurried over and took a seat at the table. 

“So you decided to come back.” 

“Gosh Cap it’s not like I ran off into the night and left you stranded. I’ve been gone for what-?” 

“Two hours,” Steve answered shortly. 

Tony just huffed loudly and slumped back into the leather cushioned chair, relaxing for the first time that evening. The conversation of the people around him carried on while he just sat there paying no attention. 

When the table lapsed into silence Tony sat up and looked at them all in turn as though inspecting them. Or else to say is that it, is that what you do for a good time? But after looking round the table once, he repeated his action gazing at each person in turn. 

“Er where is Loki?” He asked. 

“He’s over there talking to this random guy. He’s been there for ages,” Steve replied, taking a small sip of his drink. 

Tony turned in the direction indicated and saw Loki leaning against the bar appearing to be in deep conversation with another man. Something seemed to spark inside himself and he began to sense an unpleasant feeling growing in his stomach. He had scarcely seen Loki talking to anyone other than a member of the Avengers team but now here he was talking to this strange man without any trouble. And for some reason this bothered him. 

“So you have all noticed too,” Clint said, taking a seat at the table. Natasha followed close behind and took the last remaining seat beside him, her cheeks slightly flushed. “What do you think? That guy is just being friendly or is he hitting on our crazy god?” 

Having drunk at least double the amount of alcohol from all the others around him, Thor was just starting to show signs that the drink was taking affect. This meant he did not properly register another jibe at his brother being crazy, instead of shouting he just smiled dazedly at Clint who, in return, grinned back. 

“Do you think we should go over there and separate them or something?” Natasha asked, joining all the other members at the table in staring at Loki. 

After a few seconds pause, Steve answered, “No. I mean keep an eye on them but I think Loki has won at least a little bit of freedom so maybe just leave him for today.” 

Natasha nodded slowly. The table fell into a long silence, broken only by the swallowing sounds of people taking sips from their drinks. Most eyes were still fixed firmly on Loki and his companion over by the bar. But some strayed away, losing interest in the sight. 

The whole club was still a hive of activity and it was gaining in momentum. Every few minutes another group of about five or six people would enter through the black glossy doors into the club. They would stand for a second before taking a step forward and then they would be lost, lost to the world outside. The only thing that mattered to them now was music, alcohol and sex. 

“What do you think he sees in him anyway?” Tony said suddenly, still not taking his eyes off of Loki. 

“Who? The man talking to Loki?” Steve asked. 

“No. What does Loki see in the guy? Yeah he is alright to look at but that could just invite you in and lead you to a dead personality. His hair needs work as well. I mean how can he walk around like that and think it looks good? I don’t know the guy but he really seems to think a lot of himself, maybe a bit overconfident. Perhaps making up for some performance issues elsewhere.” 

The whole table stared at Tony, each person with different degrees of confusion crossing their faces. Clint raised an eyebrow at Steve who grinned back. 

“So what you think Loki could do better?” 

“Yeah,” Answered Tony absently. “He needs someone interesting that could keep him satisfied.” 

“Someone like you, then?” Clint smirked. 

“Yeah...wait no!” The genius cried, realising what he had just said. 

The archer smirked thinking that the plan was working better than he had thought it would. Tony was jealous of some random guy that had taken a tiny bit of interest in Loki, what did that say about him? That he was crazy? That he was being delusional? 

With the added alcohol and blaring music there was no hope of him sorting out his thoughts. Instead he settled back and drained his glass wishing more than anything to be in his workshop, away from everyone and everything. 

After another hour of sitting around and ordering drinks, Natasha suggested to head back to the tower. It was late and the club was full to the brim with horny youths all intent on getting as wasted as humanly possible. They defiantly didn’t make good company. So a few minutes past and it was settled. Steve was elected to get Loki while the rest of the group waited outside in the cool night air. 

They walked through the streets, Clint and Natasha together at the back and Steve and Tony keeping Thor in check at the front. Loki dawdled in the middle, not talking and paying little attention to the world around him. It had been rather an eventful evening but he couldn’t quite work out if he had enjoyed it or not. 

Back at the tower they all separated onto their own floors bidding each other goodnight. Tony and Loki journeyed to the top floor alone, in total silence. When they reached the top the doors slid open fluidly and let the pair out. 

Without looking back Tony headed straight for his bedroom. He needed to be alone, he needed sleep, he needed to sort out his thoughts. And being around Loki or even seeing him again that evening wasn’t going to help. The shuffling footsteps behind him died away as he strode off. 

Later that night he woke abruptly in the middle of a wrestling match with his duvet. Wanting to break free, he kicked it off himself. It landed in a chaotic heap at the end of the bed with half of it dragging on the floor. 

His dreams had once again been plagued with a raven haired god and himself locked together in very compromising positions. But then it had changed and those images had remoulded into a dimly lit cave full of Stark weaponry. Then he began to relive his whole experience in Afghanistan which had culminated in him falling from the sky with his Iron man suit breaking apart and falling around him. He awoke before he hit the ground with a gasp. 

After reliving those memories he knew better than to think he would get back to sleep. With a sigh he crawled out of bed, choosing to stay in his boxer shorts and an old band t-shirt, and hobbled to his bar where the inviting liquor awaited. 

On entering the room he thought it was empty so continued to walk over and pour himself a drink. Then he froze. A faint chuckle from the kitchen broke the silence. Not having a clue what was going on, he placed his glass down without a sound. Gingerly he made his way into the kitchen. In the darkness made out a figure sitting on one of the stools that surrounded the island in the centre. 

Having no other option but to reveal himself Tony said, “JARVIS lights.” 

The lights switched on immediately causing him to squint through the sudden brightness. Once his eyes became accustomed to the light he opened them wide enough to see the occupant of the stool. 

“Loki, what the hell are you doing,” He said. 

Really he shouldn’t have been surprised. The only other people it could be were the other Avengers or Nick Fury, depending if he broke through JARVIS’s control of the lift. No one else could have entered without Tony being alerted immediately. 

“Ah Stark you must try this beverage at once. It is truly astounding!” Loki slurred, trying and failing to sit up straight. He brandished a bottle of alcohol in his hand but Tony couldn’t clearly read what the label said. 

Tony stepped forward watching Loki teeter dangerously on his seat. He clearly couldn’t hold his drink. Or he had drunk so much he could no longer stand up without support. Grabbing the bottle in the god’s hand, he read the label. Vodka. 

“So you’ve been raiding my bar, well you can pay for that,” he muttered knowing Loki was so out of it that he couldn’t focus on what he was saying. Instead Loki settled for starting his own ramblings. 

“You know Stark, I was thinking about you this evening. When I was talking to Andrew, you know who Andrew is don’t you?” 

“I’m afraid not.” 

“He was the man that began to converse with me. Anyway he was talking and I couldn’t help but wonder about you because you are smart and sassy and rather pleasant to behold and yet you were nowhere around. I was stuck with that other man, what was his name again?” 

Tony leant on the island that Loki was almost sprawled across and sighed but with no hint of anger or frustration. It was strange to see Loki so open and ready to speak and yet here he was rambling on about his interest in Tony. The genius couldn’t help but feel slightly flattered. 

“Andrew.” 

“Yes Andrew. I was stuck with Andrew while you were somewhere else and I...I was thinking that maybe you aren’t that bad as a person.” 

“Umm right. Well thanks for that but I think we should really get you to bed.” 

Standing up straight, Tony put his arm around Loki’s waist and helped him up. Just as he appeared to be coping alone, he wavered slightly before falling forward into Tony’s awaiting arms. 

“Wow okay try holding on to me Reindeer Games, because if you fall to the floor I’m not picking you back up. You can drag yourself to bed.” 

Loki giggled in response but did as he was told and leant his weight against Tony so the genius could get a better grip on him. The movement process was slow and by the time they reached the god’s bedroom, Tony was near enough carrying him. 

Unceremoniously he dropped Loki onto his bed. He was barely conscious now but continued his attempts to keep talking. Feeling that it was the polite thing to do, Tony reached down and tugged out the cover from under him before laying it over the trickster. Then he quickly scanned the room. Not finding a bin, he went into the bathroom and picked the one up from in there. He emptied its contents into a small pile on the floor and placed the empty bin next to Loki’s bed just in case he awoke with a need to empty his stomach. 

He thought about just walking out but when he was about to exit he heard Loki shift in his bed. Swivelling around, he looked back at him. His head rested on the pillow, his eyes glassy and unfocused. 

“Good night Stark,” He murmured before closing his eyes. In seconds his breathing took on a slow steady pace that told Tony he was sound asleep. 

“Night Loki,” He replied, turning off the lights and shutting the door softly behind him. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It felt like someone had been pounding on the inside of his skull. Every movement caused his head to throb painfully. He felt nauseous. Rolling over onto his side he made to get out of bed. The stench of alcohol followed him, clinging to his clothes and skin. 

With every movement his head protested but he fought against the urge to lie back down and sleep. Instead he headed into his bathroom. As he took a step he tripped over something. On looking down he saw his bin placed conveniently next to the bed. Obviously someone knew that he might have need of it. His memory of the night before was so hazy that he couldn’t remember the individual who had placed it there or even how he had got into bed. 

In the bathroom he turned on the shower. The water began to pour out and trickle down the wall and glass. He undressed quickly then stepped underneath the stream of water, relishing the feeling of it flowing over his skin. After a few minutes of peace, he grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed himself down before climbing out the shower and hunting for some clothes. 

Choosing a plain dark green sweater and jeans he left his room and walked slowly into the kitchen. Steve and Tony were the only occupants of the room. The captain had his head buried in the newspaper while Tony gulped down his coffee. When Loki entered he set the mug down and inspected the god although he tried to do it discreetly with odd glances up. 

Loki noticed but chose to ignore the chocolate eyes flicking up to rest on his face. Instead he prepared his mug with a teabag of his favourite infusion, peppermint, and picked up the kettle, filling the mug with boiling water. 

He turned away from the kitchen surface to see Tony’s eyes flick back down to the table surface. Sighing lightly he made his way into the open planned living room and flopped down on the sofa, not being able to hold his head up any longer. It still throbbed aggressively. He closed his eyes while holding his mug in his hands that rested atop his stomach. 

“I’ll see you later Tony, I’ve got a meeting with Fury about a debriefing,” Steve said, standing up from the table and folding the paper neatly for future perusal. 

“Yeah alright,” Tony replied, having actually totally forgotten the captain was still there. 

Tony rose from the table as well but walked into the living room rather than following Steve into the lift. He took a seat across from Loki on one of the designer sofas. He crossed his legs then crossed them back the other way before uncrossing them entirely and huffing loudly. 

“Is there something wrong Stark? You seem agitated,” Loki said curtly with no actual concern in his voice. He continued to lie on the sofa, still with his eyes closed. 

“Nope. Nothing wrong here.” 

Picking up his tablet, Tony began to touch the screen, searching for something to occupy himself with. Two seconds later he huffed again and threw the tablet down next to him. He began to tap his foot impatiently. 

Loki opened one eye, examining the genius’s movements. 

“Stark, what in Valhalla are you doing?” 

Okay it had gone on long enough, Tony decided (although it had only been a couple of minutes) he needed answers now. 

“Do you remember anything from last night?” 

“It is rude to answer a question with a question,” Loki pointed out, opening the other eye so he could stare at Tony who shrugged in response. “And yes I remember a large portion of last night’s events.” 

“Well do you remember the parts where you said that you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about me all evening? And how you think I’m smart, sassy and fucking hot?” 

Loki sat up a little straighter then immediately regretted the motion because his head did an extra painful pound. 

“I am very sure I would not describe you as _fucking hot_ but I won’t deny that the others are true although I really don’t think your ego needs any more stroking.” 

A smirk formed on Tony’s lips as he took in those words. 

“So you like me?” He asked, abruptly. 

The god of mischief was taken by surprise by the question and sat up even straighter. Ignoring his protesting head, he swivelled his legs around so he now sat up with his back resting on the back of the sofa. He gazed into Tony’s face trying to find anything that would give away the genius’s thoughts. He found nothing. 

The piercing look he was sent from the man in front of him was slightly unnerving and very distracting. Without being able to process his thoughts properly, Loki was lost for words. Having nothing to say, he nodded, becoming very aware of how vulnerable he was feeling. 

“Err okay,” Tony said, interrupting the silence that had spread between them. 

Loki looked down at his hands that still hugged his now cool tea. What was he doing? Did he actually like Tony? He had never really contemplated the matter because it had never cropped up in conversation before. Tony himself seemed to have taken his words literally and assumed that Loki liked him. Did that bother him? He couldn’t deny that a warm feeling had passed through his stomach when the genius smirked just now. 

Did this really mean he liked Tony? He liked the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist? Loki couldn’t work out if he was pleased or worried by this realisation. His thoughts were cut off, however, when he felt a pair of warm lips press against his own. 

At first alarm bells started ringing inside his head and they were all shouting at him to pull away. Tony Stark was kissing him, Tony Stark was kissing him! Then the warm feeling in his stomach began to creep through his body finally reaching his brain and all thoughts of ending the kiss were forgotten. But just as he was about to respond to Tony’s lips, the genius broke the contact and pulled back leaving Loki’s head reeling. 

“That was-“ 

“Nice.” 

“-different,” Loki finished. 

Tony chuckled, “Good different right?” 

Loki smirked but didn’t respond, enjoying the uncertainty on Tony’s face. There was a few minutes silence where the pair just watched each other, both trying to read the others expression. 

“Right...so what happens now?” 

“What do you mean?” Loki asked. 

Tony smiled, “I thought it was rude to answer a question with a question.” 

“Not if the person does not understand what the other is asking,” the trickster answered. 

“Okay,” The genius began, now feeling fairly uncomfortable. “Well I asked what happens now and I meant like between us. Seeing us you like me and yeah I like you and we just kissed so...you know...” 

His words drifted away as he watched Loki cock his head to the side. These conversations were bad enough normally because he didn’t do feelings but Loki wasn’t helping one little bit. All he did was stare at Tony as though he had said something totally shocking and offensive. 

“I’m sorry Stark, am I missing something because I don’t believe there is an us? If you think that that is a satisfactory way of winning over a god then you are mistaken. I am not easy. I am not one of your easy lays. In my culture there is always a long process of courting before an _us_ can even be considered. However we are not in Asgard therefore you cannot follow all traditions but I still expect you to win me over before this can go any further.” 

After finishing his speech Loki rose to his feet, preparing to walk back to his room where he planned to rest his head. Tony rose with him looking thoroughly confused. 

“And how do I do all this winning over? What am I supposed to do?” he asked. 

Just before Loki disappeared down the corridor to his room he glanced over his shoulder and said, “You’re a genius Stark. I am sure you will think of something.” With that he vanished from view leaving Tony in a state of utter bewilderment.


	6. Chapter 5

# Chapter 5

The sun sat high in the sky casting its bright rays over Manhattan. Heat from the ball of gas warmed the air leaving all people who came into contact with it in a happy daze. It had been so long since the weather had been this pleasant. And even longer since the city had been in a safe enough condition to enjoy it. 

Central Park was full of people soaking up as much sun as possible. They lazed around on the benches or on the grass, stretched out and totally relaxed. Tony and Bruce walked leisurely past them, attracting only a few stares. People were too preoccupied with the weather to care that Tony Stark was near them or that his chosen company was the giant green rage monster. 

They continued along their chosen path for some time, enjoying the silence between them, until they found an empty bench which they sat down on. For a minute or so they looked around, taking in the sight of the mass of people all around them, enjoying the heat just like themselves. 

“So Betty has already started on all the plans for the ceremony, now she’s started I don’t think she will stop. I think it’s a female thing, just obsessing over every tiny detail. I told her not to be too controlling which I think annoyed her because she then threw a book at me and said it was my job to choose the flowers.” Bruce paused a second for breath. “I wish I had stayed quiet. How do I know what to choose? I don’t know anything about flowers. If I asked you what a Bellis Perennis is would you know? Tony?” 

“Huh what? Oh uhh yeah of course,” Tony replied quickly. “Wait what was the question?” 

Bruce sent him a slightly amused, slightly exasperated look. Tony shrugged in response still having no idea about what was said previously. 

“Since we left the tower you have been in a dream world and I don’t think you have heard anything I’ve said. Is there something up because I have never known you to be so quiet?” Bruce said, turning on the bench so he was at a better angle to look at Tony. 

Tony just sighed and looked out across the grass. His eyes skimmed over people walking, people sitting, people talking not really caring about any of them. Slowly the cogs began to spin in his head again and he was able to think clearly about the situation before him. 

He could tell Bruce the whole problem in hope that it would relieve him of some of the pressure that was holding him down. But that could be a risk because Bruce’s reaction could be anything from utter disbelief to complete disgust which could lead to him running straight to Fury. On the other hand he could lie and make up some excuse as to why he is acting so strange. But to come up with something that convincing would require time he did not have. 

In the end he agreed that telling half of the truth would be the best step forward. At least he wasn’t lying or risking any outdoor shouting matches, though he thought that Bruce wouldn’t be type for that anyway. 

Taking a deliberately slow deep breath Tony said, “I have a problem.” 

“I know that, so which is it, the drinking? The sex addiction? The obsessive working?” Bruce asked casually, sliding down on the bench so he was in a more comfortable position. 

“None of them, it’s...wait I don’t have a sex addiction.” 

Bruce stared at Tony incredulously. 

“Enjoying something doesn’t mean you’re addicted. Now back to the point, I have a problem with...eh someone that I like.” 

He glanced at his companion who smirked back at him before waving a hand for him to continue. “They know I like them and they like me but I’m still no closer to getting with them. When I tried to talk about it they just told me that they weren’t easy and that I have to prove myself to them. So that is my problem, how the hell do I do that?” 

Silence greeted his words. Then Bruce let out a whistle and said, “Well you certainly have a problem but I suppose it’s nice you like someone that isn’t as wonton as some of your past choices. Unfortunately I think you have come to the wrong person for advice.” 

The pair lapsed back into silence. Tony took the pause as time to think back over how all of this had begun. Really how had it begun? When did he realise he liked Loki? And how on earth did he like him anyway? 

There was the obvious attraction from his looks. Not many people could deny that Loki wasn’t handsome. Being no longer controlled by twisted thoughts and evil plans, the crazy glint that used to be constantly on display was now absent from Loki’s eyes. It had been replaced with a softer hue that had caused the shadows that had grown dark under his eyes to vanish which made his whole face lighter. 

There was still the darker side to Loki, the side that had not quite forgotten everything that happened and that still relished in it. Though he hid it well, sometimes there would be a second or two where he would forget himself and a flash of anger or total hatred would appear on his face with no connection to the situation he was in. 

But Tony didn’t believe that his looks were the reason to why he liked Loki. It had contributed to it, yes, but it had not been the cause. That had been something greater, something that was far past his knowledge. His attraction to Loki was not a quick thing; it had built inside him for so long. It started at first with a couple of whispered nothings at the back of his mind that had grown into quiet thoughts before slowly progressing to something far bigger that still made no more sense than before. 

“Well I’m still just as lost as before, I really have no advice for you,” Bruce commented, squinting at his friend. “You really have picked a difficult woman to please.” 

For a moment Tony thought about not correcting his friend but decided to anyway because it would make it easier to explain in the future just in case something did come of Loki and himself. 

“They aren’t a woman,” Tony stated plainly. 

A confused expression crossed Bruce’s face. “What? How can they not be?” He asked. 

“Well Bruce,” The Genius began, speaking slowly and clearly, watching and enjoying as his friend stared uncomfortably at him. “They are not a woman because for one thing they do not have the correct features needed to be of the female sex. Another reason is that I have met them and spoken to them and can clearly see that they are a man.” 

“B-but you and Pepper,” Bruce said, not having any idea how to put into words what he wanted to say. “You can’t be err...” 

Tony took that moment to step in and resolve the situation. It was fun to see his friend squirm for a while but he thought that was enough so there wouldn’t be any lasting damage. 

“I’m not gay Bruce,” Tony said bluntly. 

The look he received was probably the most confused and uncomfortable look he had ever seen. The man before him shifted in his seat uneasily and tried with all his might to meet Tony’s eye. Every time he got close, however, his eyes would dart back down or else flick up to look around the park. 

“What? Oh god I’m so confused, will you please just explain,” He mumbled. 

“Right I’m not gay! Yes I liked Pepper, I liked her a lot. But now I like someone else that just so happens to be a man. This does not mean you can put labels on me or just shove me into a group. I like women but I also like this man. Does that make things any clearer?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrows at Bruce. 

“Okay I understand that. So does that make you bisexual or what?” 

Tony sighed and slumped backwards on the warm bench that had been heated by the sun. “I’m not anything, I’m just a person. You can give me whatever label you want, but personally I don’t use labels because all they are is words.” 

Silence. 

“So do I know the person?” Bruce enquired, his voice back to its usual calm tone. 

“You’ve met,” Tony replied distractedly. 

There was a short pause before his friend asked tentatively, “Are you going to tell me who it is?” 

Turning his gaze back round, Tony smiled widely and shook his head. “Nope, you are not nearly worthy enough to know such a thing,” he joked, rising to his feet. 

Bruce copied his movements and stood as well. They walked off through the park heading to Avengers Tower and a cold drink. As they set off Bruce spoke again, “Can’t you at least give me a hint?” 

Tony laughed before throwing an arm over Bruce’s shoulder. “Well he is very sexy like unbelievably so. His body is so irresistible you just want to jump on it all the time and his face is the handsomest you have ever laid eyes on.” 

Bruce chuckled knowing that that was the most detail he would be getting about this mystery man that seemed to have Tony in a confused daze. Even though he wanted to know more, he didn’t press the matter and simply smiled at the fact that Tony seemed to have finally moved on and stopped sulking over Pepper. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Thor didn’t know how to approach Loki. He had been putting it off for so long. He knew what he had to do. He knew he had to talk to Loki but apparently the right moment had never come. Now he was becoming desperate and it was the only thing the blond god could think about. 

Alone in the kitchen, he paced back and forth before throwing himself down on one of the stools. This was so frustrating. Why should he get this way? Why should he be nervous about approaching his own brother? Only Loki was no longer his brother. Ever since his true parentage was discovered Loki would no longer identify himself as a son of Odin. He would be disgusted by the name and even more so when it was associated with him. It was like poison, slowly working through his body until his whole being was consumed by hatred for the man that lied to him for too long. 

Thor tried to bring Loki back to him. He tried to convince him that nothing had changed, that he was still a part of the family but it had no effect. The lies had gone too deep because they had gone on for so long. Loki could no longer identify himself as something that had caused him so much pain and suffering. 

Standing back up, Thor headed off in search of Loki. When he had knocked and entered his room not five minutes ago he was pleased to find that the god of mischief was not there. That meant it gave him more time to think up how to approach him. He was loath to admit that the extra time was of no help. 

He knew Loki had been actively avoiding him. Ever since a year ago when he had first been sent to Avengers tower he had stayed in his room, only leaving when he was summoned or else when the need for sustenance grew too strong. At first he believed it to be nothing personal as Loki didn’t seem to want to talk to anyone. But as the weeks past Thor noticed him begin to loosen up and become slightly more talkative to the others. Then the weeks turned into months and soon he realised that it was personal. Loki had drawn a line between himself and Thor. The silence and the leaving rooms when Thor entered just served as extra reminders to the golden god that there was nothing between them, no bond, no past, no love. Loki had frozen him out, one day at a time, until there was nothing left but a handful of bittersweet memories of young boys playing together without a care in the world. 

Thor rounded the corner at the end of corridor from Loki’s room and entered into a large open space with soft furniture that simply screamed comfort. The windows here also stretched from ceiling to floor just like in the main living room and by one of the panels sat Loki. His arms were wrapped around his legs that were drawn up to his chest and his chin rested atop them. From that position he gazed out the window at Manhattan that was mapped out below him. 

Hearing the footsteps coming towards him, Loki raised his head and looked up to see who the arrival was. When Thor came into view Loki noticed that he hesitated before stepping closer. In return he got to his feet and surveyed the man that stood before him. 

“Loki,” Thor began, a noticeable tenseness in his tone. “We need to talk.” 

“I do not believe there is anything we need to discuss, if you would excuse me.” 

Loki made to brush past Thor but the god of thunder threw out his arm, barring Loki’s exit. Recoiling slightly, he stepped back so there was space between himself and Thor. 

“I’m doing this for your benefit. Do you not realise this? You could be finding a way to solve this but instead you just sit around. I gave you the book; it has not aided you at all?” 

“Stark returned the book to me, not you, so don’t give yourself too much credit,” Loki sneered. “Yes it has aided me but it cannot solve anything. The Chitauri will come and there will be no stopping them.” 

“If you would just speak to the Allfather-“ 

A low hiss emanated from Loki and his expression darkened as the name was spoken. 

“No...Not the Allfather Thor, your father,” He spat. “Why would I speak with him? He was the one that sent me to this place to live with these people.” 

Thor took a few deep breaths to calm his breathing which would hopefully slow his racing heart. He knew if the conversation strayed too much from the main issue things could go horribly wrong. There were already noticeable signs of Loki’s anger beginning to take hold. His face had contorted into an expression of mixed emotions, all of which were dark and difficult to read. His breathing, like Thor’s, had begun to increase meaning his heart, too, was hammering inside his chest. If Loki lost control now then there would be no hope for Thor to continue sharing his issue. He needed to steer the conversation back to the point, and fast. 

“This is a far kinder punishment than what would have awaited you if the Aesir had had their way. You would be strung up in chains and whipped raw by now. You should be far more grateful to the Avengers team. They could have refused to take you in but they did not, they offered you a chance. If they helped you once, maybe they will help you again. Ask them for help with-“ 

“I do not need help,” Loki cut in sharply. 

“Yes Loki you do. You cannot fight the Chitauri alone,” Thor said calmly. 

He took a step forward in a bid to calm some of the tension between them. It had the opposite effect. Stepping back hastily, Loki glared at him. 

“I cannot fight them, do you not listen? Do you pay so little attention to the world around you? My magic has been bound, locked away inside these bracelets.” For added effect he pulled up both his sleeves and revealed the shiny golden bracelets, engraved with the binding spell. “That means my only weapon, my only defence is gone!” 

“Please travel back with me to Asgard, we can seek counsel from the Allfather and just maybe he might be able to aid us.” 

“Aid us, aid _us_ ,” Loki laughed darkly. “There is no _us_ Thor. You are not involved, this has nothing to do with you so stop worrying yourself and get back to protecting your precious Midgard.” 

“There is an _us_ Loki because we are family. We were born together, raised together, fought together. Why do you try so hard to pretend that that no longer exists?” Thor didn’t try to hide the hurt in his voice. 

“Because it doesn’t exist. We are not related. You are a son of Odin, perceived from birth to achieve great things while I was born as nothing and grew up in your shadow never being awarded praise for my efforts. You grew up believing in yourself while I grew up believing a lie. I was brought up to hate and fear myself-“ 

“You are no monster Loki,” Thor said, interrupting Loki’s stream of hate and loathing. 

Loki stared at him passively for a minute before he spoke again. This time his voice was low and held no emotion. “I am one of _them_ ; every part of me is the same as _them_. I should be feared. No, no one can help me Thor, no one!” 

With that Loki walked out and this time Thor didn’t try to stop him. His final words hung in the air like a noxious gas ready to suffocate anyone who came near. Thor himself felt like he was being suffocated, suffocated by the weight of Loki’s hate for everything that reminded him of Asgard and Jotunheim and his true parentage. 

If Thor could, he would take away all of Loki’s problems, all his fears, all his foes so that he could live normally and wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. Yes he had made mistakes, but nobody’s perfect. And that’s the one thing Thor could never forgive. He could never forgive his father for driving Loki into this pool of hate and self loathing. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“Hey Tony, you might want to go up there,” Clint said as he entered Tony’s lab. He pointed up at the ceiling and the engineer followed his movement with his eyes before shrugging and carrying on with his current project. 

“And why would I do that?” Tony asked. 

“What can’t you hear it?” He shook his head. “Well it sounds like Loki is throwing a fit at Thor.” 

Looking back up at the ceiling, Tony listened very carefully and was able to pick up the odd shouted word. He sighed before putting his tools down carefully and heading for the door. Just before he mounted the stairs, he turned back to Clint, “Get out.” 

“God man I’m going,” Clint grumbled. “You are way too possessive over this room full of crap.” 

Tony just smirked before taking the stairs two at a time. Now he was on the right floor he could hear more of the conversation. He caught odd snapshots like _believing a lie_ and _you are no monster_. Trying not to dwell on it he walked along the corridor that lead towards the raised voices. As he got closer he heard more of the conversation. Loki was talking. 

_I am one of them; every part of me is the same as them. I should be feared. No, no one can help me Thor, no one!_

Before Tony could process any of that, Loki was walking away. He disappeared into his room so swiftly that Tony wasn’t even sure if he had been there at all. Becoming increasingly more puzzled by the situation, he hurried through to the smaller living room where Thor was still standing. 

“Err Thor what is going on?” 

“Nothing, I apologise if I have disturbed your work,” Thor said distractedly, turning his gaze on Tony. “Excuse me; I have things I must attend to.” 

He walked away then, leaving Tony in an even worse state of confusion. Thinking it better not to question it, he strode off back to his lab only sparing Loki’s door a quick glance before continuing on his journey.


	7. Chapter 6

# Chapter 6

It was early, far too early for this. Did Fury have no conscience? Did he not realise that waking up at this hour was a punishment? Tony certainly didn’t appreciate being summoned to one of S.H.I.E.L.D’s top secret locations just to have a meeting with Director Fury about an issue he wasn’t even allowed to know. 

But at least he didn’t have to suffer alone. Clint, Natasha, Steve, Bruce and Thor were also sat in the car as well. They too had disgruntled expressions on their faces and bags under their eyes. Being able to sleep in was a novelty for the Avengers team and it was also something they weren’t granted regularly. 

The windows of the car they were travelling in were tinted a dark shade in hope of blocking out the world outside. However they did a very poor job which meant that all the occupants, including Thor, knew exactly where they were. The driver wore a neat crisp dark grey suit jacket with a matching tie. When they had first climbed into the back they had all clamoured to question their driver but the man had refused, in a gruff voice, to answer any of their queries. Instead he had chosen to blast out the radio with long outdated tunes that had all the Avengers rolling in their seats from the sheer monstrosity. It had soon become too much and Tony had shouted that the driver either get some taste in music or else the radio was going out the window. In a second the radio was switched off which left all occupants of the car left to amuse themselves while the journey dragged on. 

It was not too much longer before the vehicle pulled up outside a normal looking office block. The Avengers had been working long enough to not believe first appearances. Sure enough as soon as they entered the building and followed their driver down a staircase, to the side of the foyer, they were met with familiar noises of gun testing and machinery being used. 

Down in the corridor they could not see through the windows because they were also tinted black, although these were a lot more successful at their job than the windows in the car. After another minute or two of walking, the man stopped abruptly and threw open the door to his left. Stepping backwards, he allowed the Avengers entrance before shutting the door loudly behind them. 

With the door shut the sound of the machinery was immediately diminished. The room was silent except for the team’s footsteps as they paced around the mostly empty space. A long black table that seated ten people was dead centre in the room, its polished surface reflecting the lights that had their bulbs slotted into the ceiling. 

A door at the opposite end of the room to which they had entered from opened and in stepped Nick Fury in all his black leathered glory. The team looked up when he arrived then moved around the table. 

“Please sit,” Fury said, gesturing to the seats around while he took his own at the head of the table. 

“So are you finally gunna explain what this is all about?” Tony yawned. 

Fury surveyed him with an unimpressed look before replying. “Knowing that you have difficulty keeping secret information secret, I thought it best not to tell you beforehand.” 

Tony muttered something incoherently before slumping back in his chair. Rolling his eyes at the overgrown five year old, Fury continued, “First order of business, how is the Loki situation going?” 

“You’ve got to be kidding. That is the important business we have to discuss, whether Loki is settled into his new home or if he’s about to flip out and take over the world?” 

Clearly unimpressed by the pointless interruption, Natasha, who was just about to answer Fury, sent Tony a withering look. He, in response, whipped out his Stark phone and immediately became totally absorbed in the touch screen device. 

“The situation is fine, Director, Loki seems stable and has actually been working quite well with the team.” 

“Yeah it’s almost like he’s a different person, or god,” Steve added. “He doesn’t seem as half as crazy as when we first met him.” 

Fury nodded but didn’t say anything. He did notice, however, that Tony’s tapping had faltered slightly as though he was trying to listen to every word said without being obvious to the others. There wasn’t enough time to dwell on it too much because Steve was still talking. 

“And I think that’s what makes me curious. If he is so normal now, what drove him to be so crazy before?” 

“My brother has many demons, some I do not even know about. He is a puzzle and he is impossible to solve. It is best not to question it and easier just to accept that what tormented him before has most likely passed,” Thor said, leaning forward to rest his toned arms on the table. 

“As long as you’re confident he won’t freak out any time soon, we can proceed with the real order of business,” Fury said. 

“With his magic bound he will find it difficult to do much damage to anyone.” 

Nodding again, Fury tucked his hand inside his black leather coat before producing a large document which he placed down in front of him. The wad of paper was in a neatly ordered pile with small colour coded notes poking out at uneven intervals, highlighting the different sections. Fury turned the pages until he reached the second note, a luminous yellow one, then picked up some loose pages and removed them from the document. He passed one to each member of the table, its shiny top being the perfect surface to slide the paper. 

Each recipient picked up their sheet as soon as it landed in front of them and began to read. As usual it was full of posh words that meant nothing to anyone and that vastly overcomplicated the document. After they had all read it they looked back at Fury expectantly. 

He sighed impatiently, “It means S.H.I.E.L.D has somehow been infiltrated and some of its information has been leaked. Luckily we managed to stop parts of the information being leaked but others have still been released. That’s why you are in so early, it’s before the papers can print the new information so it gives you all time to hide.” 

“Hide?” Bruce asked. 

“Well gives you a chance to find somewhere to lie low for awhile. We aren’t sure exactly what has been leaked but if any of it has something to do with the Avengers, it is best for you not to be around.” 

“So where are we being shipped off to? Alaska? New Zealand?” Tony said, continuing to tap on his Stark phone. 

“No need to be so melodramatic, Stark, I was thinking more like Las Vegas.” 

There was a stunned silence for a second. Natasha and Clint shared a glance before staring at the Director again. A puzzled expression crossed Bruce’s face while Thor’s remained neutral, him having no idea who or what Las Vegas was. Steve remained still, wanting to hear more about the information leak. 

“Vegas? Are you serious?” 

“I am very serious. Being in such a busy place will make it easier to blend in as long as you don’t get too pissed and start fucking everything that moves I’m sure it will be fine.” 

“Hey don’t just aim that at me,” Tony countered. “You never know, Steve might decide to shed his innocent virgin skin and join the real world in partying to the full.” 

The captain seemed to shrink in his seat at that and flushed a deep shade of crimson. To his even worse embarrassment, Clint was furiously fighting back laughter next to him. Tony smirked at the reaction. 

“So that’s why you needed to know about Loki, because we have to take him with us,” Natasha said, attempting to bring the conversation back into the realm of acceptable. 

“Yes. As long as you believe him to be stable then I don’t see a problem, however I advice you make him share a room with one of you, possibly Thor?” 

The god looked saddened for a minute before saying, “I do not think Loki will agree to that. But the team and I will keep a close watch over him.” 

Fury nodded, seeming satisfied with the explanation. 

“Well I believe that is everything. Someone will be in contact with you once this whole ordeal has blown over. Transportation will be provided for you and it will arrive in approximately two hours so I would advise you hurry up and pack.” 

He stood and all the others around him did the same. At that moment the driver walked back in, ready to guide them all back out. Fury didn’t appear one for goodbyes because a second later he had left back through the door he had entered from. 

“Have a safe trip. Don’t drink too much children, I will see you soon,” Tony mocked, trying to imitate Fury’s usual frustrated tone. The rest of the team rolled their eyes at the genius before heading out into the long corridor. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The journey back was fast. It was filled with a long argument about who was to deliver the news to Loki about the trip. In the end Tony was elected because apparently he was the best choice. Thor would just annoy him, Clint refused, Bruce needed to tell Betty, Natasha would take longer to pack (because she is a woman) and Steve was saved from making up a reason because Clint came to his rescue. All in all it was really just everyone against Tony as them all, besides Thor, was in on the plan of forcing Tony and Loki together. If only they knew the plan was working without their assistance. 

When they got back Tony headed straight for Loki’s room. After the second knock Loki opened the door. Tony explained the situation quickly and Loki asked a question or two in response before shutting the door in order to get some things together. Tony didn’t bring up the subject of them again but god he wanted to. 

Back in his own room Tony thought about Loki. Well why the hell not? He thought the god seemed distracted when he just spoke to him, then he remembered the last time he had seen him was after he had walked away from Thor yesterday evening. Unfortunately he hadn’t had any free time to question Thor about it yet so the thought was left to rest. 

That’s when his thoughts crawled back to the last proper conversation Loki and himself had had, when Loki had told him to prove himself to him. He was still having no progress on that topic. How do you prove yourself in this day and age without venturing into the really cliché zone? He supposed that being away from the tower for some time might give him some new ideas. How he prayed that Las Vegas held the answer to his problems. It was getting increasingly difficult to function with all these thoughts in his head about the god with no power to do anything about them, some of them being very inappropriate. 

The thought of having Loki spread out beneath him, naked and very willing drove him crazy. He wanted to see those beautiful green eyes filled with lust, lust for himself. He wanted to be possessive, he wanted to take Loki and claim him for his own. 

Tony blinked. Standing up from his bed he began again to gather some things together, trying now to ignore the strain on his trousers from his previous thoughts. He needed to prove himself soon or else get some self control. He preferred the first option far more than the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was such a short update but cool stuff is happening in the next few chapters so stay tuned!! If you have time please leave a comment, I'd love to know what you think of the story so far :)


	8. Chapter 7

# Chapter 7

The journey was faster than first expected and was a lot less painful than it could have been. Conversation had run quite thin which had left everyone to their own devices to amuse themselves. Tony tried to avoid Loki, but having him in such close proximity was not helping. He didn’t know if it was deliberate or not that Loki seemed to be even more attractive yet mysterious than normal. Instead of engaging in conversation, the god of mischief had a book open in his lap that he read with interest. Managing to capture a small glimpse of one of the pages told Tony that it was also written in Asgardian. Perfect. Loki really did make it difficult to get to know him. 

As the journey went on Loki appeared to grow weary of reading and instead stared out of the window. By the time he had given up on the book the plane was flying at its full height. Leaning his forehead almost flat against the windowpane, he stared out and watched the world go by below. His eyes moved back and forth, trying to see everything from this view. Obviously he found flying very interesting. Tony wanted to take him on every plane ride he could just so he could see that look of joy that crossed Loki’s face as he saw something of particular interest. 

The plane began to descend and then the world seemed to speed up. They were in baggage claim, then in a car (provided by S.H.I.E.L.D), then they were driving before they pulled up beside their hotel. It rose high up into the sky which spiked Loki’s interest, Tony noticed. Apparently he had a thing for heights. 

Their baggage was unloaded onto trolleys that were rolled away to their rooms. The group trailed in afterwards before separating out to their separate rooms. Loki went with Thor and Bruce whose rooms were all in a line while Tony, Steve, Clint and Natasha headed up two more floors to reach their rooms. When they regrouped not that much later, it was dark outside and the city had begun to light up. 

“Tony, where are you going?” Steve asked, watching the genius strut away. 

“I’m going where you are supposed to go, the Casino.” 

He didn’t stop to see if they were following, he knew they would never be far behind. Sure enough, a second later Clint appeared on his right side and Bruce was a step behind on his left. Smirking to himself he walked off into heaven. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“So have you got any fresh ideas about what you are going to do about ‘proving yourself’,” Bruce asked, sipping at his orange juice slowly. 

Tony, who was downing his own whiskey, looked up and shook his head. “No, do you because I really need some suggestions?” 

“Well I was thinking about it but I haven’t come up with much. But I have one idea though if you’re trying to impress this person I wouldn’t advise doing it.” 

“I have nothing so hit me with whatever you’ve got,” Tony muttered, draining his glass in one quick motion before turning round and ordering another. The bartender slammed the fresh drink down on the bar a second later then he walked away; knowing that if asked Tony would just say to put the price on his tab. 

“You could always make them jealous.” 

“I never thought you would be the type for that, Brucey. I’m very disappointed,” Tony chided jokingly. 

“No no no, I wouldn’t ever do that and I’m not telling you to do it now. You asked so I told you. So yeah that’s an option, maybe flirt with someone else, get whoever you like a bit jealous then when they confront you about it, you come up with a great story and then boom, you have your woman...sorry man.” Bruce blushed lightly. 

Tony sent him a sarcastic smile before settling backwards so his back rested against the bar casually. He contemplated Bruce’s suggestion even thought he knew it was a bad suggestion. That was what made it so appealing. It was so stupid and slightly cruel that it seemed perfect for the situation. By no means was it the best option but it was the only one he had and he supposed it was worth a shot. 

If the plan backfired, however, that was another matter. His gaze skimmed the loud bar and came to rest on Loki, who was seated at a table with the rest of the Avengers team. When his eyes came to rest on Loki, the god in question chose that moment sit up straighter. Tony watched in awe as his back curved beautifully as it stretched backwards and Tony was sure if he had been topless he would be able to see all the taught muscle moving delicately into a more comfortable position. Tony shivered at the thought. God he wanted to do some things to that body. He was getting tired of being ignored by the Norse god. 

“Excuse me, are you Tony Stark,” an accented woman’s voice asked tentatively. 

Turning his head swiftly, he was met with an eyeful of cleavage and bright pink top attempting to contain the overflowing breasts. He averted his eyes quickly and settled them on her face. Full lips stretched into a wide smile and blue twinkling eyes came into view. 

“Ohmygosh ohmygosh, Kate it is, it is Tony Stark,” She shrieked, looking behind her to another woman that was dressed similarly at the end of the bar. Said woman let out a cry of delight and hurried over as fast as she could in her six inch stiletto heels. 

“No way! Wow Tony, Mr Stark it’s amazing to meet you,” Kate said in a rush, almost tripping over in her haste to join the group. 

Taken aback by the shrillness of both women he took a small step back to try and regain some personal space boundaries. Behind him Bruce was retreating further along the bar, not wanting to get caught up in the conversation. Tony, who hadn’t moved, watched the women continue to gush out their love. After listening to the first few ramblings Tony zoned out, retreating into his thoughts. At first his mind wandered aimlessly before a thought struck him. 

“Ladies ladies please, let me buy you both a drink,” He interrupted. 

“Oh my! Yes please, thank you. Jess, Jess Tony Stark is buying us a drink,” Kate gabled to her friend. 

Tony smiled then asked them what they would like. Once the drinks were set down, the women fell into silence as they sipped their drinks; however their eyes never left the genius. 

“So are you both on holiday here or?” 

“Well we have taken a gap year from our studies and are now travelling round America,” Jess answered. 

Nodding in response, Tony thought about what he could say next. He needed to keep the conversation going because he needed Loki to notice. The god in question was currently starring in the total wrong direction, apparently fascinated by the lights flashing from the casino. What he didn’t know was the other occupants at the table had all noticed him and, sure enough, a few seconds later Loki turned his head and looked straight at Tony. 

It was probably the worse time then for Jess to trip on one of her ridiculous heels and fall straight into Tony’s chest. He caught her just as her overly large breasts pressed into him. Tony, who had been concentrating on his own balance, shot a quick glance sideways and saw Loki watching the scene transpire. In a second he decided what he was going to do, it was worth a shot. 

“Wow there,” Tony said. “Are you okay?” 

“Oh yeah I’m fine,” Jess replied, blushing a light crimson as her friend fought furious giggles behind her. “I’m really sorry.” 

“No worries at all, please let me buy you both another drink.” 

The women nodded excitedly before eagerly accepting their second drink. This went on for a while, the trio just standing by the bar and chatting lightly. When Tony’s legs began to protest with the continuous standing he asked the women if they wanted to accompany him to a table. Without hesitation they accepted another of his invitations and eagerly latched on as her offered them his arms. 

Loki’s eyes never left the small group. He was confused as to what was going on, was this serious? Did Tony like these strangers or was it just a friendly gesture? Loki was still new to most of Midgard’s concepts so he was not sure which it was. Still his eyes moved with them as they settled down at their table. 

“Tony can I talk to you a second,” Bruce asked, just as Tony sat down. 

“Uh okay,” He huffed in reply. “Excuse me for a moment ladies.” 

When they were far enough away from the women Bruce spoke. “I didn’t think this was part of your plan.” 

“What can I say? Bored of waiting I guess, it’s just a bit of fun.” 

Without saying another word he rejoined Jess and Kate who had just got to their feet. 

“We’re sorry but we have to go. Thankyou so much for the drinks though, it was amazing to meet you,” Jess said, smiling toothily. 

“No worries, I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.” He then bent and kissed both of their hands making them blush and gush out another couple of thankyou’s. 

When they had finally tottered off in their stilettos, Tony turned round and was met with an empty seat at the others’ table. He asked where Loki had gone and was told that he had excused himself seconds before stating that he was tired. Furrowing his brow Tony thought for a minute about why he would just suddenly up and leave. Then it struck him. The plan had backfired and Loki was probably assuming Tony no longer had feelings for him. 

Downing his drink in two quick gulps, Tony excused himself too saying he was tired from the journey and needed a lie down. Before the others could question him too much he hurried from the bar and took a lift up to Loki’s floor. He fought a battle with himself as to whether he should run or not. Turning up out of breath could make him look desperate in a good and a bad way but walking to might make it seem that he doesn’t care. Going for a halfway point, he jogged a few steps then walked the rest. He reached the door before he even knew what he was going to say but before he could stop he had raised his fist and knocked on the door. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The knock interrupted Loki’s musings long enough to make him forget exactly what he was thinking about. Grumbling darkly, he chose to ignore the door because he was already getting comfortable in his bed. Then it struck him that he hadn’t locked the door. What kind of hotel was this that didn’t have auto-lock doors? Anyway he scrambled to his feet and went to answer the door. Expecting it to be Thor checking up on him he didn’t bother to check through the peephole. When he stepped back out the way of the door he wasn’t quick enough to hide the shock on his face. 

“Stark?” 

“Yeah hi, is it okay if I come in?” Tony asked politely, trying to keep his voice even so as to not give away his racing heart. 

Loki sighed but moved out the way to allow him entrance. Once he was safely inside, Tony stood around awkwardly for a second until Loki took a seat back on the bed. Although thinking it totally unwise, Tony ignored his brains warnings and sat next to him. His brain continued to scream warning after warning to him but he blocked it all out and dived straight in. 

“Why did you run off back there?” 

“I didn’t run off, I was tired,” Loki replied flatly. 

“Yeah right now tell me the truth. Was it because I was talking to those women and you didn’t like it?” Tony asked straight, watching closely as Loki’s head snapped up. 

“It was not just that. I was led to believe that you _liked_ me and then there you were with two female companions looking very smug and-“ 

Tony laughed before he could stop himself. “Smug? Really? And before you interrupt I do like you but you made that difficult to do when you said I had to prove myself. I mean how the hell am I ever going to do that? If you didn’t push me away it would probably be easier for you to actually see I like you.” 

“Do you not think there could be a reason why I push you away?” Loki snapped, shock crossing his face a second later as he realised his mistake. He had let his mask slip for the shortest time but it was enough for Tony to know that that was the point he had to press. 

“Well now I think there is a reason. Do you want to share it?” the genius said lightly. 

Sighing and grumbling, Loki mumbled something incoherent while staring at the ceiling before lowering his head so he could stare into his lap. 

“When we were growing up Thor had everything. He had Odin’s attention, he had mother’s adoration and he had everyone else just falling at his feet, they all wanted to be his friend. I, on the other hand, did not have friends nor did I have many people trying to become one. If anyone attempted to become my friend I would push them away in hope of them coming back because I was once told that those who care will always return. After I pushed them away, however, they never returned so I believed them not to care and apparently I still do it today...” 

“So you thought I didn’t care because I didn’t come back to you. All that stuff about proving myself wasn’t true, you just wanted to see if I cared enough.” 

The words were left the hang in the air, thick, almost suffocating. “It sounds pathetic now,” Loki spat, seeming horrified with himself. 

Tony didn’t answer. Instead he shifted closer to Loki. He wanted to wrap his arm around his waist and draw him close into his arms but he thought the god might protest so he refrained. Anyway a moment later Loki got to his feet and stood with his side facing Tony. 

It would probably have been the best moment to say something meaningful or relevant to try and lift some of the tension that wrapped around them both like a thick veil. Never being one for tradition Tony went for the total opposite. 

“I didn’t actually like those women you know, I was just doing it to make you jealous,” He said hesitantly. “I didn’t know what to do so I thought I should try the opposite and flirt with someone else and see what happened and hopefully you would confront me and then we would talk and everything would be fine.” 

“Both our plans worked out well,” Loki said sarcastically. 

Tony chuckled in response, agreeing totally with the god in front of him. It had all been so stupid and they had all made themselves look stupid. But now here they were and they were not a step closer to getting where they wanted to go. 

“At least we are here now,” Tony said. He wanted to look into those green eyes again, he wanted to lose himself in them but Loki seemed determined to stare at the floor for as long as possible. 

“Hey, Loki?” He stood himself and tugged lightly on Loki’s arm to try and make him turn. The god didn’t budge so Tony tugged a little harder. “Loki, look at me.” 

This time he tugged slightly too hard. The mischief maker was pulled off balance and went toppling onto Tony. They landed on the bed, Tony with his back flat against the soft duvet and Loki hovering only a few centimetres above him. Words of shock were ready to flow from Tony’s lips but they were washed away by the breath that was released now he could see those eyes. They were so close and so so green. 

Loki breathed evenly as he stared down at Tony. Their eyes locked together. Breaking the contact briefly, he flicked his gaze down to the genius’s lips before looking back into his eyes. Then he leant closer, closer. He was so close. Then their lips connected. The kiss was soft and gentle but it was enough, it was enough to express how they were both feeling at that moment. The indescribable feelings that were too difficult to put into words. Then it was over. 

Tony looked up at Loki who opened his eyes slowly. He smiled at the god, whose lips twitched in return. Slowly Loki bent down again and their lips met for a second time, as he made to pull away Tony brought up his hands and gripped onto his shirt collar preventing his retreat. Without hesitation Loki pressed more into Tony and moved his own hands to bury them in his short brown locks. 

Tony gasped lightly as the cool fingers ghosted over his face. Loki took the opportunity to slide his tongue out along Tony’s bottom lip, this causing him to moan quietly. His mouth now wider, Loki slipped his tongue inside and let out an appreciative moan himself as Tony’s tongue came up to meet his. 

For minutes they remained this way, slowly exploring the others mouth. Tasting, touching, savouring. But soon the urge to breathe became desperate and they broke apart, panting lightly. Loki sat up, effectively removing himself from Tony who sat up as well, a smirk plastered firmly on his face. 

Loki sighed and shook his head in mock frustration; his facade was blown however by a shuddering yawn that racked through his body. 

“Looks like someone needs their beauty sleep,” Tony teased. 

“Thankyou for stating the obvious. I do not mean this rudely but I am very tired and would now ask you to leave.” To prove his point Loki wriggled under the duvet, laying his head back on the many pillows. 

“But I can’t leave because that would mean you having to get up and lock the door and we wouldn’t want to disturb the princess from her cosy bed,” Tony smiled cockily. He knew he was trying is luck but it was worth a shot. It appeared that today was a day for taking risks. 

To Tony’s great surprise Loki rolled over to the edge of the bed and pulled back the cover on the other side as an invitation. The smile that crossed the genius’s face was dazzling as he locked the door then removed his shoes, socks, shirt and belt. He kept his trousers on though he craved for freedom from them. Then he settled down on the opposite side of the bed to Loki, flipping off the light switch in the process. 

“You know I normally get to know someone before I sleep with them.” 

“Shut up, Stark, and go to sleep,” Loki mumbled, though Tony could hear the smirk playing on his lips. 

Closing his eyes and relaxing into the soft welcoming mattress, Tony really thought things were starting to look up. Loki shut his eyes as well, ready for a peaceful night’s sleep. It had been a long time for both of them since they had gone to sleep with a smile on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG SO IT FINALLY HAPPENED! Anyway I'm sorry to say it will be a while until the next update because I'm going on an exchange trip for 9 days next week. Hopefully I will update soon after I get back. But for now I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like being kind so here have another chapter before I leave :)

# Chapter 8

Being awoken from a deep sleep was never very pleasant but being abruptly woken with no sudden explanation was far worse. Loki sat up in confusion and frustration. It was dark in the room so his eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim light. When they did he could see no explanation as to him awakening. Sighing, he lay back down ready to fall straight back to sleep. He froze, however, when he heard a small whimper. 

He sat back up, brushing the covers off in the process, and took another look around the room, this time focussing on every little detail he could make out in the poor light. A louder whimper was heard this time. Turning his head, Loki glanced down at Tony. Even in the bad light he could see there was something wrong. 

Beads of sweat caused his skin to have an eerie glow as he tossed back and forth. Loki debated with himself whether to wake him or not. He knew it can be dangerous to rouse people from sleep so suddenly but he was clearly very troubled by the dream he was having. He was saved, however, from waking Tony because a second later he jolted awake in a fit of pants and uneven breaths. 

For a minute he lay there, unmoving and disorientated. As his breathing eased off into a slower, more natural rhythm, his eyes wandered and came to rest on Loki’s face peering at him in the darkness. 

“Stark?” Loki said quietly. 

Tony just stared up at him, still not moving, but breathing a lot calmer. 

“Maybe you could do with a drink,” he continued, climbing out of bed after Tony nodded at the suggestion. 

Walking over to the small kitchen area of the room, which mainly consisted of a kettle and small fridge containing vastly overpriced snacks and beverages, Loki flipped on some lights before filling the kettle and popping a teabag into two mugs. While waiting for the water to boil he tapped his foot on the floor in an uneven beat. He refrained from turning around and questioning Tony because he knew that if he was in Tony’s position he wouldn’t have wanted to be questioned either. So instead he stood with his back to his companion and prepared the tea. 

Before carrying both mugs over he put three sugars into Tony’s. Then he grasped the handles and walked back to the bed where he took a seat on the edge and handed the steaming mug over. Tony accepted the offering, sitting up with the covers still around his waist. 

“This isn’t whiskey,” Tony stated, sniffing the drink. 

“No, were you expecting it to be?” Loki answered, watching Tony closely. He seemed far calmer now than from before. 

“Well yeah, it helps you know,” The genius shrugged, taking his first sip. After he swallowed he made a face. “How much sugar is in this?” 

“Three. I heard you Midgardian’s believe that sweet tea helps with shock.” 

Tony chuckled quietly then looked back at Loki who appeared to be confused by the reaction. “It’s actually not good to drink when you’re in shock but thanks for the concern,” He said. 

Loki just stared back at him for a moment before raising his own mug to his lips and sipping at the hot drink. He was not at all sure of how to proceed with the conversation. Should he ask Tony what just happened? Or should he ask why? Or should he just respect his privacy and hope one day he would be enlightened? He hated not knowing how Midgardian minds work. In Asgard if there was a problem it would be shared freely and without delay in hope that someone would have a solution or at least would be offered some advise. 

The mugs were almost half empty. The silence had not been broken once and Loki was becoming increasingly agitated. This seemed to become clear to Tony who sighed then spoke. “S’pose you want an explanation?” 

“That could be helpful,” Loki answered. 

“It’s a long story.” 

“I have all night,” The god countered, receiving a sigh in return. 

“Uh fine but just don’t interrupt okay? It’s bad enough without stopping and starting.” 

Loki nodded. Shifting further onto the bed he made room so he could cross his legs and look straight at Tony. This, however, made it worse for Tony. He felt like he was being continually watched and judged and usually it was true that when he had told this story, on those rare occasions, he had been judged. Still he thought it necessary to explain and he had also already agreed. 

For the third time he sighed loudly before breaking into the story of how Iron Man came about. He began, obviously, at the beginning explaining how his company used to make top quality and extremely advanced weaponry. Then he launched into the part about going to Afghanistan and getting kidnapped. 

As the story went on his voice grew stronger. Whenever he had told this story before he had done it quickly and bluntly, not wanting to dwell on his past experiences. But now, sitting in front of Loki, he let his voice carry him and he explained everything he could remember and everything he had been feeling. Feelings had never been his strong point but now they were flowing as free as waterfall down a mountainside. He described his fear and his pain, he talked about Yinsen and how responsible he felt for his death, and he expressed his feelings of total betrayal as he relived Obadiah’s disloyalty. 

When Tony’s voice finally faded to nothing he stared ahead for awhile, not knowing whether he felt better or worse for speaking out. Loki didn’t speak either, letting his new knowledge set in. Whatever he had been expecting from the story, it had defiantly not been that. 

“So the circle of light in your chest, that keeps you alive?” Loki asked. 

“Yes,” Tony said, drumming his fingers around the edge of the Arc Reactor. 

It was difficult to know how to proceed. If Loki just changed the subject it would be assumed that he did not care about Tony’s sufferings. But he also didn’t want to dwell on them too much because they brought painful memories back for himself. 

“Come on, now it’s your turn. Tell me a story about yourself,” Tony blurted out in a far happier tone than the situation demanded. 

Loki snapped out of his reverie and blinked back at him. “You want me to tell you a story?” 

“Yeah, though nothing too depressing please, it’s been a bad enough night already. We don’t need more angst filling it up.” 

“I could tell you the tale of when Thor and I dressed up as a bride and handmaid to win Mjolnir back.” 

“I’m loving it already,” Tony commented, chuckling at the thought of the God of Thunder in a flowing white dress with a veil. 

Smiling, Loki took Tony’s empty mug and carried it over to the sort of kitchen area. He excused himself briefly to the bathroom, needing to relieve himself after the tea. When he returned he was surprised to find Tony sprawled in the centre of the bed, snoring gently. 

Rolling his eyes at the sight, Loki moved away from the bed towards the huge built-in wardrobe. From the top shelf he pulled out two large thick blankets which he used after he curled up on the corner sofa that sat on the opposite side of the room to the bed. 

He knew it was probably a silly thing to do. It was his room so he could easily wake Tony and ask him to move but that felt wrong. The man had just relived an obviously traumatic memory that prevented him from sleep, so if he was asleep now, Loki wasn’t going to move him. Instead he lay down on the sofa, tugged the blankets up over himself and rested his head against the cushions before slipping into a deep sleep of his own. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Tony jerked awake, not in a terror-filled frenzy like earlier that night. No this time it was purely someone else’s fault. 

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

What the hell was that? Feeling around next to him, Tony reached out expecting to find Loki’s arm or something but instead he only felt soft cold empty sheets. He sat up, studying the room in the process. It wasn’t difficult to find Loki. He was spread out on the sofa, limbs pointing in every direction. Tony had to admit it was an impressive sight, seeing Loki so free and relaxed. His face was so different, no longer painted with the usual tense expression. It had been replaced with something beautiful and totally at peace. It was natural. This was the natural Loki, without stress, without pain, without hate. 

_“Loki, are you awake?”_

Thor. Of course it had to be him at this hour of the morning. It was like what 8:30, Tony discovered as he glanced up at the clock. Wow it was far too early to be up. However Tony banished that thought, knowing he was in more trouble than not getting enough sleep. If Thor found him inside Loki’s room at this hour it would be extremely hard to come up with an excuse. 

Jumping forward, he tapped Loki on the shoulder mumbling his name. The mischief maker just rolled over, groaning. Tony reached out and shook his arm instead, hoping the added pressure and more forceful gesture would rouse him. It had no such effect. 

_“Loki, I must speak with you!”_

“God Thor, give the man a chance,” Tony grunted far too quietly for Thor to actually hear. 

Shaking Loki again, Tony continued to try and wake him. Nothing seemed to be working. In a second he came up with an idea. Not even bothering to question it, he bent forward and pressed his lips hard against Loki’s. For a moment nothing happened then there was movement. Tony opened his eyes as he moved away and saw an excessively green pair staring back at him. 

“Are you just that desperate, Stark, to steal kisses in peoples sleep?” Loki smirked, lifting himself into a sitting position. 

Tony’s mouth snapped open to answer but was cut short by another shout from Thor. 

“Why did you not wake me?” Loki demanded. Tony tried to answer but was cut off again, this time by the god in front of him. “Oh never mind. Just get into the bathroom, shut the door and do not make a sound.” 

With an indignant expression on his face, the genius did what he was told. Only when Loki was sure that Tony would not reappear did he walk towards the door to answer it. 

“What Thor?” 

The door was wrenched open revealing Thor, who stood poised ready to knock again. Seeing the door opened, he lowered his fist looking sheepishly at Loki. Obviously he sensed Loki’s anger because he quickly pressed on. 

“I would like to continue our conversation from yesterday. Do you remember what we spoke of while in the room full of colourful flashing machines?” 

“Vaguely,” Loki replied in a bored voice, though finding it slightly amusing that Thor didn’t even know what a casino was called. 

“Perhaps it would be easier if we spoke inside your chambers.” 

Wanting to get this conversation over swiftly, Loki moved out of the way so Thor could enter. Hopefully Tony would have enough sense to remain hidden until Loki went to release him. 

“Well as we discussed you mentioned that you are lonely,” Thor began cautiously. “And after you left I began to converse with a man. I told him about you and he seemed very interested so I said maybe you should meet so I told him to come to your room this evening. Are you okay with these terms?” 

In truth Loki had barely listened to a word of what he had just said. However he didn’t remember saying once that he was lonely but it was probably Thor putting words into his mouth and he just agreed because it was easier than actually paying attention. He caught the last sentence of Thor’s speech and realised it was a question. Not having any idea what he had said, he agreed without much thought, thinking it was probably something stupid and unimportant. 

Thor seemed satisfied though with his answer and immediately dismissed himself, a wide smile etched into his face. As soon as the door was shut again, and Thor was safely on the other side, Loki darted to the bathroom and wrenched the door open. 

“Is it safe?” Tony whispered, feigning fear. 

Loki just rolled his eyes at the man on the floor before exiting. He could hear Tony laughing behind him. 

“So I should probably get back to my room in case people start worrying where I am.” 

“Don’t flatter yourself too much, Stark. You won’t be missed that much,” Loki said. 

“I beg to differ.” 

Pausing in their movements, they both stared at each other for a moment. It was just a look. A simple, lasting glance. But for each person it meant something different. Neither of them could deny there was something between them. These ‘sass battles’ was just a fraction of their interactions. They had already had serious conversations, shared private memories and secret fears, they had argued and they had kissed. If someone had been watching the pair together they too would have noticed the change. They had come a long way from their first meeting, but little did they know that they had a lot further to go. 

“Anyway I’m gunna leave now but thanks for the bed,” Tony grinned. 

Loki nodded, his lips twitching. It was so damn hard not to smile back at the genius when he flashed one of his charismatic flirty smiles. But then he was gone and he didn’t need to fight it anymore. He let the smile spread across his face until it engulfed him. He was falling, he was falling fast. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It was still early when he left Loki’s room. Normally he would not be seen awake before ten but today he could see no point in going back to bed. So instead he headed down to breakfast where he knew a buffet would be waiting with all kinds of foods that could tempt anyone away from sleep. 

Just before the lift hummed into view, footsteps began behind him. Turning around he saw Steve hurrying to catch up with him. 

“Morning Cap.” 

“Tony, there you are. You just disappeared yesterday and no one ever saw you again,” Steve gushed. 

_See people did miss me_ Tony thought to himself, imagining Loki’s eye roll at his comment. “Don’t panic, I’m fine. An early night has never done anyone any harm.” 

“Except when it’s you and you’re in Vegas. Did you have company or something?” 

“Er yeah you could put it that way,” Tony replied. 

They entered the lift and remained in silence as it descended to the ground floor. When the doors slid open Tony stepped out with Steve at his heel. Walking side by side, they crossed the lobby and headed through some elaborately gold decorated doors that led to the restaurant. 

Tony grabbed a plate from the top of a huge stack that sat by the doors then practically danced towards the buffet. Man he loved these things. He began to load his plate with everything that took his fancy. At first he went for the cooked breakfast options like bacon and sausages, then moved on to fruits. Some he didn’t even recognise but he added them to his overflowing plate anyway because why the hell not? They were edible and that was really all that mattered. Nothing good came from being overcautious. 

Steve stayed close, though watched with disgust as Tony’s plate filled rapidly. How the billionaire planned to eat all that he didn’t know but decided not to ask. He knew the response would probably be something he didn’t want to hear while he ate. Keeping one eye on his friend, he began to set food down on his own plate. When they were both finished collecting food, Steve had less than half of what Tony had on his plate. Still he didn’t comment. Each to their own, as they say. 

While they ate conversation ran low, or more Steve was scared that if Tony opened his mouth while he chewed the food would come surging out in a flood of crushed fruit and grinded meat. That was a sight he could defiantly live without witnessing. 

Tony was glad of the silence. It meant it gave him time to think. Now that he was away from Loki he could see just how big the difference was in both of their behaviour. He had never, in his wildest dreams, thought that Loki could be like this. But now his perception had changed. He no longer saw Loki as the crazy megalomaniac that had tried to conquer the world. No now he was the intriguing, attractive, still severely damaged god that had caught Tony’s attention entirely by accident. However Tony wasn’t going to apologise. 

His thoughts continued on down these roads, slowly wandering along, occasionally stopping to admire certain things or ponder others. Then something struck him, metaphorically. Though himself and Loki had admitted they liked each other they never considered exactly what they meant by that. Did that mean they were ready for a relationship? Tony was slightly freaked out by that but also oddly exhilarated. Before he even considered this thought, he needed to know Loki’s opinions on the matter. 

Not wanted to appear desperate or anything, although he was, when he finished his breakfast he left the hotel to find something to occupy himself with. Later he would go and see Loki. Later. Why was time moving so slowly? 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It was creeping into late evening. The sun was setting meaning the city was lighting up but Loki had no plans to explore it. Not that he could anyway. He couldn’t do things alone, he couldn’t go out alone which meant he certainly wasn’t allowed away to investigate the strange city without company. Instead of dwelling on what he could be doing, he focussed on what he was doing which was reading. For being a pretty mundane realm, Midgard had an impressive selection of books. One that Loki was determined to discover as much as he could about as possible. 

A knock at the door disturbed him from the sentence he was reading. Folding down the corner of the page, he got up from his bed and went to open the door. 

“So you’re Loki,” A man said, once he saw Loki. 

“Um yes, who are you?” 

“I am your company for the evening. Your brother told me all about you yesterday,” The man said sultrily. “He said you were lonely and could do with some livening up.” He walked forward and kicked the door shut. 

Loki stood frozen. Was this man really what he thought he was? He certainly wasn’t dressed like it. In his neatly ironed shirt and pressed trousers, he seemed just an ordinary guy. But Loki knew better than to go on first impressions. 

“I brought this along, you know, to loosen you up.” 

From behind his back the man produced a bottle of wine. He made to pull out the cork but as it came free from the bottle, the scarlet liquid poured from the end soaking his shirt. If someone had walked in right then and heard the startled cry and seen the red stain they would have assumed the worst. Luckily Loki was left alone with the man though in many ways he wished he wasn’t. He wanted the man out his room. 

“Oh woops,” The man cried. He really didn’t seem all that upset though. Placing the bottle down on a small table he turned round and whipped off his shirt, revealing overly defined muscle. “Still it speeds things up a bit.” He then winked, the action making Loki want to throw up. 

If Loki had been paying attention then, he would have heard the soft knock on his door. His attention, unfortunately, was focused on the man that was now slowly removing the rest of his clothes. He didn’t get far because next second Loki was upon him. 

Grabbing him roughly by the back of the neck and shoulder, Loki growled, “I do not want your services,” Before throwing the man from him. 

The knock came a little louder this time. Both men turned to dive towards the door. To Loki’s distain, he did not get there quick enough. 

“May I help you?” The stripper slash prostitute man asked. 

“Uhm err is Loki there?” 

And that’s when Loki’s heart melted. Tony. Why did it have to be him? This must look bad, so terribly bad. How could he explain this? He lunged forward, trying to get the man to move but it had no effect. This man was strong. So Loki was held at arm’s length, out of view from Tony and seething with fury. 

“He’s sorta preoccupied right now. If you come back later, like much later, I’m sure we’ll be finished then but for now we are a bit busy so bye.” And then the door was shut. If Tony had replied it was cut short by the door closing in his face. 

“Why would you do that?” Loki demanded. 

“Hey Sugar it’s alright. You don’t need him, I’m here and I’m gunna rock your world.” 

“If you touch me you will regret it. Now get out.” Loki took his arm, wrenched the door back open and shoved him into the corridor then picked up his ruined shirt and threw it after him. “I’ll be keeping the wine,” He snapped before slamming the door. 

Oh Thor was so dead. And Loki looked forward to killing him. But first he needed to mend things with Tony. He could just imagine the horror-struck look that must have been plain on his face when the whore had opened the door. 

Hurrying out his room, he quickly turned back and locked the door before striding off down the corridor to the lifts. He was relieved to see the man was no longer standing in the hallway. That could have been an awkward encounter. Well for the man, not for Loki. 

In no time at all he was outside Tony’s door. There was no time for waiting so he just barged through the door without any introduction. 

“Holy fuck, what don’t you knock?” Tony shouted, jumping with the shock of seeing Loki marching into his room. 

Totally ignoring Tony’s question, Loki walked forward so he was stood in front of Tony, who was sitting on the corner of his bed. 

“I need to explain to you the situation of what you just walked in on,” Loki said very seriously. 

“No it’s cool, you don’t need to explain-“ 

“I do. Thor sent the man! I had nothing to do with-“ 

“Honestly it doesn’t matter. I mean we never really did anything and-“ 

“Stark.” 

“No don’t interrupt. Because so what, we kissed, a lot of people kiss. That doesn’t mean anything needs to happen. You can do what you want, it’s not like we discussed-“ 

“Stark.” 

“Anything about us. I mean there isn’t even really an us, unless you want there to be and I just-“ 

“BY VALHALLA, ANTHONY!” Loki shouted before silencing his response with a kiss. 

It started off slow but soon became a serious battle of wills. At first Tony was shocked by the sudden contact but as soon as his brain registered what was happening he had already responded by pushing back forcefully against Loki. As the same as the first time, Loki’s hands crept up into Tony’s hair and burrowed deep into it, pulling him even closer. Tony’s tongue darted out, coaxing Loki’s into a furious battle. Their mouths remained locked together, only half separating when the need to breath became too much. 

Tony’s mind was reeling. He couldn’t think straight. But he wasn’t complaining. Having Loki so close felt so right that it took every other rational thought out of his mind. Loki smelt like mint or fir trees, Tony couldn’t decide, and he tasted of something sweet, like honey but more Loki. This was Loki and Tony had to continue to remind himself that as he started to draw his hands up and around Loki’s hips. 

The god above him registered the movements and leant forward until Tony fell backwards against the duvet. Now Loki sat forward and straddled the genius’ hips, smirking at the groan he received. Without breaking the kiss Loki bent closer until his torso was pressed against Tony’s. 

“Well this is moving faster than expected,” Tony gasped between kisses. 

“Shut up Anthony,” Loki replied, nipping along his bottom lip. 

Loki then let out a surprised grunt as he was suddenly flipped onto his back, with Tony smirking down at him. 

“Now it’s my turn,” He whispered into his ear before diving down to reclaim his lips.


	10. Chapter 9

# Chapter 9

Again they were kissing but they both registered that it was becoming more intense. They were no longer doing gentle and caring movements, wary of how the other would react. No, now they were adventurous and daring, as though seeing how far they could push the other before it became too much. 

Tony, now on top, took full advantage of his new position. Pinning Loki’s arms by his sides, he moved away from his swollen lips and down his jaw before slipping lower and running his tongue the length of Loki’s neck. After the first trail, he then followed it with soft kisses, then slightly harder nips. 

The noises Loki was emitting were driving Tony insane. He wanted more. He wanted to have Loki limp under him with no energy left except to moan out Tony’s name. Releasing his arms for the briefest second he managed to tug off Loki’s shirt. God he wasn’t ready for what he saw. Miles and miles of pure untarnished pale skin was revealed to him with lightly toned muscles lying just beneath. Loki’s body called to Tony, it practically begged him to touch it and he would never deny it of that pleasure. 

He let go of Loki’s arms so he could run his calloused fingers up and down his torso. Loki moaned at the touch, moving his own hands back into Tony’s hair and pulling his back up to reconnect their lips. Laying flat on top of his partner meant he could feel how much his touch affected Loki and now, with the brief pause in movement, he felt a distinct hardness pressing against his thigh. 

That’s when Tony heard it, the soft breath on his ear. Loki whispered, “Anthony, please.” 

Breaking full contact, the genius leant up and met Loki’s gaze. If possible his eyes were even brighter than normal, the added glint fuelled by lust. Loki just nodded. He didn’t need words to say what he meant, what he wanted. It was obvious. He wanted Tony. 

Smirking, Tony bowed his head and continued down his neck though this time he travelled further. He made his way down Loki’s chest then stomach, kissing and nipping, dipping into his bellybutton briefly with his tongue. Then he brought his hands to the edge of Loki’s trousers and undid the zipper. He used his hands to urge up Loki’s hips so he could tug off the offending garment. 

When they were a satisfying way down his legs, Tony raised himself onto his knees so Loki could see everything he was doing. Without warning he wrapped his fingers around Loki’s cock and squeezed, eliciting a loud groan from him. He repeated the action several times, beginning to move his hand slowly up and down, enjoying every desperate gasp that left the god’s lips. 

Cool fingers touched his own, stilling his movements. Looking up he met Loki’s intense gaze. 

“More,” He breathed. 

Tony didn’t need any more prompting. Reaching forward he pulled down Loki’s underwear and resumed his leisurely stroking. Then he lowered himself down and flicked his tongue over the head making Loki fall back against the duvet, no longer able to stand the teasing. He did that again and again, while still stroking up and down Loki’s length. 

After a few minutes of this torture, he decided to go the full way. The cry that left Loki’s lips as Tony took his whole length into his mouth was extraordinary. His body shook as he recovered from the shock then he melted back into the bed sheets with his head thrown back against the pillows. 

Tony ran his tongue up the underside of his cock once or twice then began to slowly bob his head. As time passed he increased his rhythm, noticing the change in the pitch of Loki’s moans. They had defiantly raised an octave. 

Loki was lost. The pleasure he was experiencing felt so good. It had been so long since he had felt this way and he had forgotten just how amazing it felt. Tony really had some skills in the pleasure department as the things he was doing to Loki now were driving him crazy. However, he was still with it enough to reach his own hand down and undo Tony’s trousers before slipping his hand inside and stroking his so far neglected erection. 

The genius’ rhythm faltered when he felt Loki beginning to pleasure him but then he regained himself and picked up an even faster pace. He knew Loki was close by the way his free hand had fisted into the sheets and how his hips were bucking up into his mouth. Suddenly Loki froze, his entire body tense before he let go and released into Tony’s mouth. His body shook and shook but he continued to stroke Tony, determined for him to release as well. Sure enough, a minute later Tony came all over Loki’s hand before flopping down onto his side next to him. Their movements stilled as they just lay there regaining their breath. 

Somehow, in their pleasure induced weakness, they managed to pull out the duvet from under themselves and throw it over their sweaty bodies. For a while they just lay there, eyes closed and breathing slow. They were totally relaxed. 

Cracking open one eyelid then the other, Tony studied Loki in all his after sex glory. He looked so beautiful with his eyes shut, his long black lashes casting faint shadows over his still flushed cheeks. Odd strands of his hair slipped down like a curtain being drawn. Tony lent forward and gently tucked them back behind his ear. Loki’s mouth twitched and his eyelids fluttered but they did not open. 

“Hey you’re not going to sleep on me are you?” Tony asked quietly. 

“Mmmhhh,” Loki hummed. “Maybe.” 

“Can’t you hold it off for a minute? I need to ask you something.” 

Opening one eye, Loki stared at Tony briefly, searching his expression, before closing it again. “Go ahead,” He murmured. 

“Okay it’s not so much a question but I thought...maybe we should give this...this thing between us a name,” Tony said, wary of how Loki would react. 

“Name it what you will,” Loki yawned. 

“How about if I just call you my boyfriend?” He knew it sounded childish but he wasn’t ready to call it a relationship yet. 

“Then I will call you the same.” 

The smile that broke over Tony’s face then was dazzling. He had no idea why this news made him so happy but it did. It seemed to make Loki happy too as a similar smile formed on his lips. As they were now a confirmed couple, Tony accepted his new role and took a daring step of pulling Loki close to him. It was almost like a hug, accept it was more sideways. Loki lent into it though and rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. 

What startled Tony next was that Loki began to chuckle quietly under his breath. 

“What’s funny?” 

“It would appear your teams plan worked out,” Loki smirked. 

“Plan? Wait what?” Tony asked, bewildered. 

Raising his head, Loki looked at Tony with a sarcastic smile on his face. “For being a genius, you really aren’t good with the obvious.” Tony continued to stare back blankly. Shaking his head with mock frustration, Loki carried on his explanation. “For the past week your so called ‘friends’ have devised a plan to force you and I together. As you can see, that has clearly worked out well except that they really weren’t very successful in their attempts.” 

“What? But when did they? How do you know?” 

Rolling his eyes, Loki continued, “Did you really think that all the times you were sent to my chambers were coincidence?” 

Realisation dawned on Tony’s face and Loki couldn’t help but chuckle again but then he yawned and they both remembered just how tired they were. Wrapping his arm around Loki’s slim waist, Tony pulled him even closer so his head moved to rest on his chest just to the side of the arc reactor. They both sighed and the last of the tension melted away between them. They were relaxed. They were happy holding each other close. They slept well. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Why were people always knocking at doors in the morning? Did they not think that some people might actually enjoy sleep? Tony never got round to answering these questions as another light rapping on the door disturbed his thoughts. 

Leaning over Tony shook Loki on the shoulder. During the night he had rolled over so his back was now to Tony. He was thankful that it didn’t take much more encouragement to wake him. Mumbling something incoherently Loki turned back to facing Tony though his eyes were still closed. 

“What?” 

“Someone’s at the door,” Tony muttered. “You need to get up.” 

“Mmm can’t...tired,” Loki said lazily. 

“Come on what if someone sees you? What if it’s Thor?” 

Grumbling, Loki grabbed the edge of the duvet roughly and tugged it over his head. 

“S’pose it’s an improvement,” The genius said. 

He climbed out of bed and rearranged the bed sheet a bit more so whoever was at the door could only guess to who was under there, then he went to answer the door. 

In the short walk he decided it should be illegal to be woken without good reason. Whoever was at the door was not in Tony’s good books because they woke him which meant he also had to wake Loki, something he wanted to avoid doing. Seeing him so peaceful was a rare occurrence and he wanted to make the most of it every single time. 

Unlocking the door and pulling on the handle revealed Steve standing in the doorway looking alert and refreshed. Obviously someone hadn’t had their sleep interrupted. 

“Hey Tony, sorry if I woke you.” _No you’re fucking not_. “I just wanted to let you know that S.H.I.E.L.D got in touch and we can go back to the tower. They managed to avoid the crisis.” 

“Great,” Tony answered sarcastically. “Fury really let us enjoy this break didn’t he? We were given, what, a day away?” 

Steve looked at the floor then glanced back up. “Well we do have responsibilities and...” He noticed something behind Tony that made his cheeks flush a bright crimson. “Oh...er...sorry I didn’t know you had company. I’ll just go.” 

With that he was gone, hurrying off back to his room. Closing the door, Tony turned around just as Loki was pushing the bedcovers off himself. 

“For a second there I thought he knew it was you.” 

“Such low expectations of me,” Loki said silkily. “You stayed hidden when I asked therefore it is common courtesy for me to do the same for you.” 

He sat up on his knees and smirked when he saw Tony’s gaze linger slightly longer than necessary on his bare chest. The previous night he had only had enough energy to pull his underwear back on before the need for sleep became too much. Now he didn’t regret that decision at all as he liked the way Tony’s eyes roamed over his skin. 

Leaning over he put his hands on Tony’s hips, guiding him closer so he too was sitting on the bed. Then Loki leant in so their lips connected in a chaste kiss. At first Tony was quite surprised, given the possibility of morning breath but as soon as Loki opened his mouth to deepen the kiss the wonderful taste of mint and that something sweet came flooding back until he thought he might be drowning. 

How did the god get to be so perfect in the morning? His face was just its normal attractiveness, his body was just wow. Even his hair looked good, the odd strands that stood up on end were flattened by Tony’s fingers now combing through it. 

“Hey Tony sorry I forgot to mention...” Steve said, barging back into the room. His eyes fell on the scene before him and he froze in his tracks. “Loki?” 

Loki disconnected himself from Tony so they could both turn around to look at the captain. 

“Good morning, Captain,” Loki said casually, smiling up at Steve who looked horrified. 

Noticing that Loki had gone for the casual approach, Tony did the same. “Yeah I would advise you knock in future.” 

“Oh yeah sorry I just...never mind...I-I’ll just b-be going now,” Steve stuttered, practically running for the door. 

Just before he disappeared Tony called to him, “Right and if you don’t mind it would be great if you didn’t tell anyone about this.” 

“Sure,” Steve called back, shutting the door after he spoke with himself safely on the other side. 

The room fell silent after his departure. Both Loki and Tony had no idea what to say. What could they say? They knew their relationship would be difficult to keep hidden but they had not bet on being found out the day after they confirmed it. They already knew that one day the whole of the Avengers team would know (if it went on that long) but having people know so soon put pressure on them. 

Neither knew how to proceed with the relationship. It was such new ground that it had barely been trod on and yet now they were expected to walk on it with total confidence. That was just impossible. 

“I don’t believe he will tell anyone. He seemed too shocked to be able to form words,” Loki said cheerily, moving away from Tony so that he could pull on his shirt and trousers. 

“S’pose so,” Tony agreed, doing the same. 

With his shirt now buttoned up and his trousers resting perfectly on his hips, Loki stepped towards the door but turned back when he felt a hand on his arm. Tony met Loki’s intense stare for a short second before pulling him even closer into a soft kiss. 

“I’ll see you later,” He said, crossing over to the other side of the room towards the en suite bathroom. 

“Yes...you will,” Loki replied, slightly breathless from the surprised contact. 

He left then, and headed off down two floors, back to his own room. When he arrived back in his room, with the door safely locked, he was glad that none of the Avengers team had seen him. It would have been difficult to explain where he had come from or what he had been doing, even with his silver tongue. Steve had already found out which he had not bet on. The captain was very tricky to read. At times he gave off a sense of being loyal and trustworthy, the perfect friend, while at other times he seemed so easy to break and only with a little pushing would the cord break and everything would come flooding out. 

Loki pushed it to the back of his mind as he paced around his hotel room, collecting his clothes and the books that he had chosen to read on the trip. It didn’t take long before he had everything ready on the bed. He then pulled out his small suitcase that had been leant to him and packed everything inside neatly. With the zip done up and the lock clicked into place, Loki surveyed the room for any last minute things he had forgotten. On seeing nothing, he decided it was about time he had a shower, seeing as he hadn’t had one since yesterday morning, not that he was complaining. If the choice was a shower or Tony, he was not ashamed to admit it would be the latter. Smiling at the thought of last night, he stripped off and stepped into the shower. 

As the water poured over his skin he remembered every detail. Every touch, every slight movement, every breath, every word. How had everything come to this? After attempting to dominate the world and becoming a fallen god that was tossed over to the Avengers team, he now had a stable home situation, a healthy body, a group of people that no longer really considered him an enemy and Tony Stark as his boyfriend, the man who wore the label ‘playboy’ with pride and also who Loki had successfully thrown out of a window. Times had defiantly changed. Luckily it was for the better. For now anyway. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The journey back to the tower was surprisingly loud. Everyone seemed to have something to say or a comment to make, most of the time infuriating another into a rowing match. Yes the plane was definitely not quiet. Tony couldn’t stop himself from being dragged into an argument with Natasha about how coming from Russia doesn’t mean you have a sense for what is good alcohol. 

Loki sat quietly, though not secluded in a corner like normal. Instead he sat a seat away from Bruce, not talking but still close. The team couldn’t help but notice the change and, once they had argued each other into silence, immediately jumped on the topic. 

“So Loki you finally believe none of us has any contagious diseases,” Clint said irritatingly, taking a seat opposite the god and leaning forward, trying to penetrate his line of sight. 

“I already know your face is hereditary, I lost fear that it would spread a while ago unless you reproduce, of course, then I would fear more for the poor child,” Loki smirked, raising his eyes in time to see Clint’s cocky expression fall into a scowl. 

Bruce, Tony and Natasha put their hands firmly over their mouths as laughter shook through their bodies. Steve tried to smile but the attempt ended in a wispy smile that held no joy or effort at all. He hadn’t been right for the whole flight and it was starting to get worrying, especially as no one knew what had caused it. Well no one except Loki and Tony and they were perfectly alright with not explaining. 

Clint’s expression had turned very sour as he sat before Loki, the god still smirking back at him. Knowing Clint and knowing how much his indifference for Loki can creep easily into total dislike, Natasha stepped in, drawing everybody’s attention more on herself. 

“Steve what’s up? You’ve been really quiet all morning.” 

“I...um...yeah I’m fine, nothing to...to worry about,” Steve answered quickly, delving into his bag and tugging out a book which he swiftly opened to the bookmarked page. 

“Right,” Natasha said, sending the rest of the passengers a look. 

That sentence had made them all go from curious to serious concern in a second. Sharing another look, the team vowed silently between them that they would bring this up again later. For now they just settled back in their seats and re-buckled their belts as the flight attendant announced they were starting their descent. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Back at the tower everyone collapsed into chairs, exhausted from all the talking and travelling. Loki sat down for a few minutes but then got to his feet and headed silently to his room. No one was surprised to see him go. Thor was the next to go, excusing himself by saying that he planned on visiting Jane soon so he needed some sleep. To everyone’s surprise Tony went next though he didn’t offer much of an explanation. 

Now with only Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Steve, they remained in silence. Natasha, who was seated beside Clint, tapped him lightly on the arm and gestured with her head towards Steve, who still hadn’t spoken a word. Understanding what she meant, the archer turned his attention to their friend. 

“So Cap, are you gunna tell us what’s wrong or are we being left to guess?” 

Steve jumped and looked at Clint. “What?” 

“Look Steve we’re starting to get worried, can’t you tell us what’s wrong?” Natasha said. 

“It’s...Okay, if you found something out but was sworn not to tell but you thought others should know would you tell anyone?” Steve answered slowly. 

The rest of the team shared a puzzled look before Bruce asked, “Can’t you just tell us?” 

“I promised, though.” 

“Oh come on Cap, you have to tell us if you think it’s really serious and if it isn’t then tell us anyway because it could be really-“ 

“Tony’s sleeping with Loki,” Steve interrupted, a look of horror crossing his face as he said it. 

The statement was left to hang in the air as similar expressions crept on the rest of the groups faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Steve how could you tell?? And how will everyone react, well we’ll have to find out next chapter. So the sexy stuff, did I do well? Please let me know because I have no idea ahhhh panic!! (I know it’s not great but I have written more for a few chapters time and I think it is far better so stay tuned)


	11. Chapter 10

# Chapter 10

“I’m sorry, what?” Clint asked. 

“You heard me.” 

“And you’re sure?” Bruce said, looking uncharacteristically pale. 

“I...well...I sort of walked in on them.” 

Clint whistled and fell back against the sofa cushions. “Did you see anything good?” 

“Clint!” Natasha almost shrieked. 

He sent her a look before turning back to Steve, awaiting his response. 

“I didn’t see anything like that but they were kissing and Loki wasn’t wearing a lot,” Steve muttered, perching on the arm of the sofa because he felt like he was about to keel over. “To be honest I would rather forget the whole thing.” 

“To hell with that, come on so...what do you think? Just sex or something more?” Clint looked around at each person, hoping someone would jump in and answer. “Wait does this mean the plan worked?” 

Still no one answered but they each had a different reason. Steve was slowly slipping off his seat. His expression was even more horrified and his skin had taken on an almost green tinge. Natasha was staring and Clint in utter disbelief, whether it was because of how well he had taken this news or what he was saying about it, nobody knew. 

Bruce, on the other hand, was deep in thought. He was having trouble processing this new information. Tony and Loki. Loki and Tony. WHAT? Just the other day Tony had been asking for Bruce’s help on proving himself to someone, who was a man, who now was known to be Loki. That meant this must be more than sex. Tony actually liked Loki, as in properly attracted to him and Loki must feel the same otherwise why would Loki have stayed overnight. Damn he wished he could talk to Tony and ask him about it but that would mean giving away that he knew. The situation was difficult. Also should he tell the others about what he knows? Would it help? Or would it make matters worse? He wasn’t sure if Tony and Loki just fucking was worse than actually having some feelings towards each other. 

“You’re not going to say anything, are you?” Steve suddenly said, looking wildly around at them all. 

“Can we really keep quiet about this? Do you think Fury needs to be told?” Natasha answered. 

“No, not yet. Let’s not make a big deal out of it when we aren’t even sure of everything,” Bruce replied hastily, not making eye contact with any of them. 

Clint watched him carefully and noticed his slight hesitations and quick response. “Hey do you know something?” 

Jumping at the direct question, Bruce continued to stare at the floor but it was too late. They had all noticed now so he had no choice, he could either lie which would make matters worse or he could tell the truth. 

Without any more prompting he began to tell the story of how Tony and he had gone walking in Central Park. He told them everything he could remember before launching into the story of the evening in Las Vegas where he had given Tony the stupid advice that he had, unfortunately, taken. Although maybe it wasn’t so unfortunate, for Tony anyway, because something must have happened for him and Loki to get together and Bruce couldn’t think of anything else that may have triggered it and he knew that Loki had left soon after he had noticed Tony’s flirting. 

Once he was done with the explanation, the room lapsed back into silence until Clint let out a long whistle. 

“Well this is a big turn of events,” He commented. 

“I just don’t understand it. How can Tony like Loki? I mean I know he has begun to change and make amends for his actions but I thought Tony of all people would never let that be enough. I would have expected him to be the last to forgive Loki except for Clint,” Natasha said, shaking her head. 

“It’s late. Maybe we should all go to bed and finish this in the morning when we aren’t all so...freaked.” They all looked over at Steve, who still didn’t look great. 

Black Widow nodded and stood up. Taking Clint’s arm, she dragged him across the room to the lift and, when it arrived, they disappeared to their floor. Left alone with Steve, Bruce leant forward and placed his hand on the Captain’s shoulder. 

Startled by the contact, Steve jumped. “Yes bed...I’m going now,” He mumbled. 

“Hey Steve are you okay?” Bruce asked, concern written on his face. “I know this is a shock but-“ 

“No it’s not that, well not entirely. It’s just I expected to be disgusted by this, I thought if it did ever happen I thought I would hate it. But the truth is I’m okay with it, I’m far more okay than I want to be which kind of scares me.” Steve took a breath. “Back in my time homosexual couples weren’t really accepted. I personally had nothing against them but the time I lived in, they were very frowned upon. Now here I am, year 2013 and one of my team is having relations with another man and people are okay with that, it is not the big deal I thought it was. Times have changed and I think I need to as well.” 

“Maybe you’re right,” Bruce answered after a pause. “Because I can guarantee things are going to get weirder.” 

Steve nodded and managed a small smile. They both then straightened up and headed to their own floors to sleep for what remained of the night. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The morning came around quicker than most would have liked. All the faces at the table were groggy with dark circles around their eyes. So much travelling in a short time was not among any of their favourite things to do. Except for Thor, who they had discovered had left early to visit Jane once they had read his note left on the table. 

Breakfast was slow and conversation ran thin. Steve was, as ever, at the kitchen island preparing food for the others who had not even offered to help. Not that he would complain, it kept his mind focused and he worked faster without stumbling around other people. 

No one had mentioned last night’s events yet which left them all on tenterhooks. They all wanted just one of them to bring it up but they were all reluctant to be that person. Overnight they had all had chance to think things through and were now pretty okay with the whole situation. But what they were not sure on is what to do now. Should they tell Tony they know? Should they confront Loki? Though none of them would admit it, they all desperately wanted to know Loki’s side of things. That, however, was unlikely to happen. 

Still the silence remained. Hurrying over with a plate of fried bacon, Steve set it down in the centre of the table and watched as people lent forward to fork the slices onto their own plates. Chewing and swallowing, that was the only sound apart from the soft hiss from the fresh bacon now sizzling in the frying pan. After about five minutes the new bacon was ready. Carrying the frying pan over, Steve tipped it to the side so the contents slipped out onto the plate. 

“Morning folks!” Tony cried, walking into the kitchen. 

“Jesus Tony, give us some warning next time,” The captain gasped, scooping up the bacon that had slipped onto the table after he had jumped. 

Instead of replying Tony just leant over, snatched up a slice of bacon and began to chew on it loudly. 

Shaking his head, Clint said, “Dude you are disgusting.” 

Shrugging, Tony continued to eat while he moved around the kitchen ordering JARVIS to switch on the coffee machine. It was hard to deny that he had a definite spring in his step as he marched around them all. They all had to fight urges to comment on his new behaviour. 

That fight became a massive internal struggle when Loki lopped into the room and started to prepare his usual morning tea. It was like a perfect domestic family routine playing out before the team as Loki and Tony dodged around each other, reaching for the sugar pot or a cupboard handle. The pair didn’t make eye contact but if someone had watched them before for a long time then studied them today they would notice how they both no longer worried about personal space. Not that they were on top of each other either, they just no longer minded if their arms brushed together or worried about leaning across the other for something. 

When both had finished preparing their drinks they took opposite seats at the now almost full table. They never made eye contact but their gaze often strayed close to the other. 

“Thor left a note, he said he’s gone to visit _Lady Jane_ to quote him correctly,” Clint said, waving the small piece of paper in Loki’s direction. 

Lifting his gaze to the archers face, Loki asked, “Do you know when he will be back? I have matters to discuss with him.” 

_I bet you do_ Clint thought but instead his reply was, “No he only said he was gone, not when he was coming back.” 

Loki nodded and sipped at his tea. Still being too hot to drink properly, he lifted up the mug, cupping it in his hands, and brought it close to his mouth where he blew lightly on it causing the liquid to ripple. 

“So Loki,” Clint began again, breaking the silence that had just started to venture into the realm of awkward. “You are really starting to break through your shell aren’t you?” 

The mischief maker looked at his curiously, not totally understanding his meaning behind his musings. Clint just smiled at him but the smile contained a hidden something like he had a secret that he could not share or a private joke that only he found amusing. Not really bothering to think about it, Loki began to slowly blow on his tea again. 

“I mean you’re really starting to show yourself as you, it’s almost as if you’re...I don’t know...coming out the closet,” He finished slowly and deliberately, his smile forming into a smirk. 

Tony choked loudly on his drink, spluttering and choking, trying to contain the boiling liquid in his mouth. The others just looked shocked by Clint’s words and Steve had started to go slightly pale again. On the other hand, Loki continued to sit still but, seeing everyone’s odd reactions, he thought there could be a hidden meaning to those words, something that he didn’t understand. 

However, Tony was the one that beat him to talking first. “I’m sorry but please say I heard that wrong.” 

“What? I didn’t mean anything by it, why what do you mean?” The archer replied innocently. 

“Fuck you, Legolas I know exactly what you meant.” 

“But what are you talking about? Why are you so bothered?” 

“Oh just cut the crap,” Tony said, anger starting to creep into his voice. 

Loki watched the scene unfold before him and pieces were finally starting to click into place. He thought now that he had a pretty good idea what they were referring to which was bad news. It also meant that someone had told, the only person who actually knew. 

Moving his gaze from Clint, Tony rounded on Steve who was leaning back from the table, trying to be as far away as possible. “So Cap, it didn’t take long, did it?” 

“Look Tony I’m sorry I-“ 

“Uhhh,” He groaned. “Don’t bother. So come on, hit me with it. Who’s first, oh don’t tell me, Fury already knows and is on his way here to bust my ass.” 

“No, we haven’t told anyone yet. We were waiting to see...well...to see if it was true or not,” Bruce said helpfully, trying with all his might to calm the situation or at least to ease some of the tension. 

“Well what are you going to do now that it is true huh?” No one said anything. “Look come on, you all seem to want to say something so why don’t you all just say it? Come on Romeo, you had a lot to say a minute ago, why so quiet now?” 

“I’m not sure what to say now that it’s definite. Of course I think it’s fucked up but there’s not much I can do and I think you already know that. If you wanna do it that’s fine just don’t do all your kissing or whatever in front of me. I’m not against gays I just don’t want to see the dude that enslaved me eating the face off one of my friends,” Clint answered. 

Loki looked over at the archer who stared right back but nothing more was said. The god’s eyebrows were slightly raised in surprise but he didn’t comment. He found it rather amusing they were the only feelings on the matter but he also felt uneasy. Soon he knew that Thor would find out and he had no idea what to expect. What he did know was that the reaction wouldn’t be good. This was his punishment, staying in Tony’s tower, which meant that getting into a relationship was probably not going to be accepted. Did that mean it would be banned? That he would no longer be allowed near Tony? Would he be put under room arrest? Or would he be removed altogether to a different location? All of the questions caused his stomach to knot tightly. He wanted none of them to come true. 

If this relationship was to continue and was to develop into something serious then Loki knew there would be difficulties. He wasn’t ready to face the problems now and over time he knew they would get far worse and with another person to worry and care about would make his plans difficult. With added problems from Thor would just cause more pressure making decisions nearly impossible to make. The future was going to get tough. 

Being absorbed in his thoughts, Loki hadn’t realised that the conversation had began to flow again. His cup of tea had cooled making it far easier to drink. So he began to swallow small sips as he listened into the conversation, trying to catch up with what he had missed. 

“I don’t really care what Fury thinks, like his opinion matters to me. If you tell me to not do something it usually makes me want to do it that little bit more just to piss you off and before you say it, no I’m not doing this to annoy S.H.I.E.L.D. No one ever said to me this was against the rules,” Tony said, seeming calmer than he had been previously. 

“Yeah probably because no one ever thought it would be an issue,” Natasha responded, eyebrow raised. 

“Well it’s not an issue. If you don’t like it, don’t look.” 

Black Widow just rolled her eyes. 

Tony’s sentence seemed quite final and it effectively closed the conversation. No one else really had any comments to make and the ones they did have, they didn’t voice. The group began to disperse from the room, slowly dragging their bodies to the lift that would take them to whatever floor they desired. Steve stayed behind the kitchen counter gathering all the plates and mugs together to begin the washing up. Tony did have a state of the art dishwasher but the Captain always preferred the old fashioned way and seeing the others didn’t want to deal with the mess, they left him to it. 

Loki headed off down the corridor to his usual seat by the massive floor to ceiling window where his new book was waiting. He had found it on a shelf a while ago, shoved to the back and covered in a thin layer of dust. He had freed it from its prison and dusted it off and had now started to read it. So far the storyline was not totally clear but he was sure that it would soon fall into place. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Bruce followed Tony down to his lab after the genius had finished up his coffee and now he sat at the only vacant chair in the room, the others all being used to hold large blocks of strange metals. Tony, himself, was leaning over one of his workbenches tinkering with some toy that would soon be ready to add to his new suit. 

“So Tony...” Bruce began, but his voice faded away. 

“I know what you’re going to say and don’t bother, I already know this is probably a bad idea,” Tony said, not looking up from his work. 

“If you know it’s bad then why are you starting it in the first place?” 

Tony sighed and looked up at his friend, putting down his tools. “Honestly, I don’t know.” 

“Then what’s going on because when we spoke the other day you seemed almost smitten with this mysterious man that I now know is Loki. What happened that made you even consider this?” 

“Look I don’t know. Maybe I saw something in him that was different. I know what happened in the past, I know what he did to Manhattan, I was there. But even you have to admit he is different now, something has changed.” 

“And this change, that’s what attracted you?” 

“Um yes, no, I don’t know Bruce. All I know is that I like him and he likes me and for now that’s enough. We aren’t serious, we aren’t committed. It’s just like any other relationship when it fist starts out, everything is new and it’s weird but...but it feels good,” Tony finished, a small smile forming on his lips. 

“Okay.” 

“Okay?” 

“Well I don’t know what else to say. You seem serious and you seem in the right mind and I trust in your judgement and I just hope this works out or else we could all face the consequences.” 

“I think that’s the closest I’m getting to some kind of approval.” 

Bruce nodded and Tony resumed his work. After a couple of minutes he ordered JARVIS to play some music which Bruce took as his queue to leave. When he was half way up the small staircase, he glanced back to see the genius singing along to the deafening music. Pausing for a second he thought about walking back down and attempting to dissuade Tony from his decision but thought better of it. He had a bad feeling about this whole situation but he kept his silence, it wasn’t his place to say anything. Tony needed to make his own mistakes. But first he needed to decide if being with Loki was a mistake.


	12. Chapter 11

# Chapter 11

Aimlessly walking around had never been one of his hobbies which was why he was not doing it now, although he certainly looked like he was. Tony ambled around the top floor of the avenger’s tower in search of Loki. He had not seen him since he had left the room after finishing his tea that morning. 

After working on his suit for more hours than he could remember, Tony had dragged himself away to search for the god, who now proved impossible to find. He had already checked the obvious places like the kitchen and it was hard to miss if someone was in the living room, he had also checked the smaller living room which had built in bookshelves on every wall which were filled with books that he had barely touched. He knew, however, that Loki had sought them out not long after his first arrival at the tower. The shelves were now all arranged neatly with different shelves for, what Tony assumed, were different genres (he had never personally checked). 

Obviously Loki’s bedroom was one of the first places he had checked and now, with nowhere else to look, Tony began to wander back to his own room. The time he had dedicated to his search was far longer than he had planned. It was now dark outside every window he passed but in the far distance he could see a lighter blue that clarified that it wasn’t too late. Still, he was tired from his work and decided that Loki didn’t want to be found so once he reached his bedroom, he opened the door and stumbled inside. 

JARVIS immediately turned on the lights, sensing that it would be Tony’s first demand. With the lights now on, but slightly dimmed, Tony was able to see his room and his bed and Loki. Yes Loki was leaning back against the headboard with a book in his hand and the other resting by his side. His expression showed mild interest as his eyes skimmed across the page he was currently on. 

“I’m sorry but isn’t your room just down the hall?” 

“Yes it is, but your bed is far more comfortable,” Loki answered, not looking up from his book. 

Tony rolled his eyes even though he wasn’t angry. In fact he was the opposite. For a while he had been looking for Loki all over the top floor of the tower and now here the god was, on his bed, totally relaxed, enjoying a book. Things had definitely changed. 

“So are you staying here or what because I’m going to bed?” Tony asked, moving around the room and shamelessly removing his t-shirt revealing his chest and well-toned stomach. 

“No I have other plans.” 

Reaching to his left, Loki set the book down on Tony’s bedside table that was mostly empty except for one of his many Stark Pads. He then flicked his hair so it was no longer falling in his face before lifting himself up and repositioning so he was kneeling instead. 

Tony hadn’t moved from his position next to the bed and now, seeing as Loki was directly in front of him, he really didn’t need to. Bending forward ever so slightly he put his hands lightly on the side of Loki’s neck and guided his face upwards in order to capture his lips in a kiss. The god eagerly responded and pushed up against him so their bodies were pressed together. Deepening the kiss, 

Tony slipped his tongue into Loki’s mouth who hummed in approval. The sensation travelled down Tony’s body ending in his groin that twitched in response. 

He had long since forgotten about sleep and was now far more interested in making more delicious noises escape Loki’s mouth. Pushing him back against the bed covers, he moved over him without breaking contact. 

Loki let out a surprised cry when Tony suddenly brushed his fingers down his sides, moving dangerously close to his, now very interested, area. Smirking to himself, the genius dipped his head and nipped at the soft skin at the bottom of Loki’s neck before tugging his loose shirt off and throwing it onto the floor. 

“Uh uh uhhh, not this time,” Loki muttered breathily. 

“What?” Tony asked absently, being far more absorbed in shifting himself in between the god’s legs. 

“You may have had control for the first time but not today.” 

With that Loki easily flipped their positions so he was now on top and could take full advantage. Not waiting another second, he began to slowly grind his hips down against Tony making him groan in pleasure. Loki continued with the movements as he mapped out Tony’s shoulders with kisses. First he circled the bottom of his neck before skimming down until he reached his arms. Then he started to move lower where the light of the arc reactor illuminated his face in a light blue hue. 

He traced his fingers around the cool metal circle and was surprised to see Tony visibly tense. After explaining the story a few days ago of how he came to have the arc reactor, he had not mentioned it again. Obviously he still did not fully accept it or else he had not got used to others touching it. Maybe it was a trust issue. Either way Loki wanted to relax him, he wanted to be trusted. So slowly he circled the metal again with his long fingers before running his tongue lightly over Tony’s tender skin that surrounded it. A gasp escaped Tony’s lips telling Loki that this action was much appreciated. Repeatedly running his tongue over the skin had the genius totally relaxed in no time. He was putty in Loki’s hands. 

Loki was still grinding his hips down against Tony’s who was now bucking up to meet him. The movements were becoming more desperate, both wanting more friction, more contact. Moving to the side so he wasn’t fully covering the other, Loki removed his trousers and then helped Tony with his own. Now only thin layers of fabric separated their straining cocks. But in a second they were gone, removed, flung across the floor where they lay without a purpose. 

Hands began wandering, touching, teasing. Loki made Tony open his legs even wider, giving him enough space to fit in between. The genius’s eyes never left Loki’s as he popped a finger into his mouth and sucking on it before moving it down and teasing his entrance. Tony groaned loudly when he felt it penetrate him and slowly began to move in and out. After some time another finger was added and then another, each time causing the noises escaping from his lips to rise in volume. 

Suddenly they were gone and Tony was left with an empty feeling that Loki was happy to fill. He nudged at Tony’s hips, encouraging him to raise them up so it would be easier to enter him. 

Fumbling with a draw on the right side of the bed, Tony produced a small bottle which he handed over to Loki. 

“It’s been a while and I’d rather not be walking funny all week,” was his response to Loki’s puzzled look. 

The god nodded and smirked, then uncapped the bottle and emptied some of its contents into his hand which he rubbed languidly up and down his length. Satisfied with his work, he regained his position and guided his cock to Tony’s prepared entrance where he began to slide inside. 

A mix between a gasp and a moan was released from between his lips as the warmth enveloped him and the tightness hugged him. He stopped pushing when he was mostly inside and waited for a sign to continue. 

Tony’s head was thrown back, exposing his neck that Loki wanted to suck on but he refrained. Instead he watched Tony get accustomed to his size because as he had said before, it had been a while. Opening his eyes, he looked up and met Loki’s piercing green pair and nodded. 

Loki held firmly to his hips to steady himself before drawing out and thrusting back in. It started off slow, with short breaths and muttered curses but as time passed the rhythm increased causing louder shouts, deeper moans and harder thrusts. 

Keeping up the pace Loki leant down and kissed Tony’s neck, occasionally biting but not causing too much pain. He sucked on the soft skin leaving darker patches that showed he was marked, that he belonged to someone and Tony didn’t care one bit. 

When they both felt their releases nearing, Loki grabbed onto Tony’s cock and pumped it in time to his thrusts while his face was brought down into a deep kiss. Their tongues swirled and danced around each other as their releases hit. Loki came deep inside of Tony and continued to rock his hips as he rode out his orgasm. Tony released on Loki’s hand and stomach but the god didn’t seem to care. 

By the time they were done they had no breath left to care and simply collapsed down onto the soft covers. Loki rested his head on Tony’s chest, listening to the beat of his heart and the faint hum of the arc reactor. He began to slowly trace his fingers round it again and this time Tony did not tense. There was trust there between them. 

“Is Thor going to kill me?” 

“I doubt it,” Loki answered quietly. “And if he tries, I will stop him.” 

Tony smiled at that, at the thought of Loki defending him. It was a nice picture to imagine, no one had ever fought for him before, no one had really defended him before. It was always, oh there’s the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, he has enough money to sort his life out, he can buy anything. But now Tony knew it was true, you couldn’t buy happiness because it isn’t a physical thing. He knew now that it had to find you. 

Running his fingers through Loki’s hair he began to feel very tired. It had been a long day and he had stayed up longer than he had planned (not that he was complaining). As his eyes drifted closed he felt Loki shift against him and drew his arms tighter around the god. 

“Night Loki.” 

“Good night Anthony,” Loki mumbled, sleep clouding his mind. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“So who do you think Bruce will ask to be his best man?” Clint asked, shovelling a large spoonful of cereal into his mouth and crunching loudly. 

“I would say Tony,” Steve replied, sending the archer a disapproving look. He’d asked him hours ago if he wanted breakfast and he had said no yet now here he was cramming food into his mouth as though he was half starved. 

“Really?” Clint looked thoughtful for a moment. “Actually yeah you’re probably right, I mean I barely knew the guy before S.H.I.E.L.D asked him to help us out and after everything he has always been closest to Tony.” 

Natasha, who had been absorbed in a magazine, looked up at the pair discussing things on the sofa. She had preferred to spread herself on one of the arm chairs, meaning she could take up as much space as she wished without upsetting anyone. With her legs draped over the left arm and her head resting on the right, she was very comfortable. 

“You know our invitations said we could bring a plus one, does that mean Tony is going to bring Loki?” She posed the question in hope of a constructive answer seeing as she couldn’t come to a conclusion herself. 

There was a silence as they all contemplated the matter. Steve had become far more accustomed to the idea of homosexual relationships being accepted making it easier to talk about the subject. It had been a few days since their conversation with Tony at breakfast where he had admitted that he and Loki were in fact an item, and now with their heads clearer it was easier to think about the topic of the future. 

“I’m not sure because would Bruce really let Loki to his wedding? I know we trust him now but still, it’s a big ask and also does anyone except this to go on that long. Bruce’s wedding is still a few months away,” Steve answered. 

“Well they sound pretty serious, I mean did you guys hear them the other night?” Natasha said, flinging her magazine onto the coffee table. 

“I think I’m glad I didn’t,” the Captain responded. 

“You never know, we could be hearing wedding bells again in a few years,” Clint laughed through another mouthful of cereal. 

The other two shot him a disgusted look but made no further comment on his behaviour. 

“I don’t think Fury will let it go that far.” 

“Oh come on Tasha, Tony already said himself that he doesn’t listen to Fury. He sets the rules and Tony just stamps on them.” 

On the other side of the room the lift dinged and the doors slid open soundlessly. Assuming it was Bruce coming back to check on things or picking up forgotten paper work, the team didn’t bother stopping their conversation. 

“Well they do seem to like each other, I mean Tony definitely likes Loki and, I haven’t personally asked Loki, but he seems to like Tony as well seeing as he’s sitting with him down in his workshop right now and Bruce said that they were actually a confirmed couple,” Steve finished, before jumped out his seat as a massive bang sounded. 

“What the hell?” Clint cried, springing to his feet and turning in the direction of the lift. 

Thor stood frozen by the doors, his hands clenched into fists and Mjolnir embedded into the floor. 

“Oh my god Thor it’s not how it sounded,” Natasha said quickly, also rising to her feet. 

Turning on his heels, Thor marched off down the staircase that they all knew led to Tony’s workshop, not bothering to listen to the excuses at the team were calling out to him. In seconds he was at the glass doors. Without bothering to knock, he threw the door open but luckily JARVIS’s controlling system managed to stop it before it shattered against the wall. 

“Hey Thor buddy,” Tony said, putting down his tools. “How was the trip?” 

Totally ignoring Tony, Thor stomped over to where Loki was settled on one of the work benches. The demi-god stared down at his, still considered, brother. 

“What is going on here?” He demanded. 

“I’m sorry?” Loki asked innocently. 

“I’ve heard that you and the man of iron are involved and I thought it necessary to check.” 

“Necessary to check? It has nothing to do with you,” Loki replied incredulously. 

“It is true then?” 

“Yes.” 

An awkward silence formed in the room as Tony edged slightly behind Loki just in case Thor was about to throw him a punch. He was very glad to see that Mjolnir was not grasped in the god’s hand. 

“But brother, this is not a wise decision at all. The Allfather will be furious!” 

“I am not your brother and I may do as I wish. The Allfather is not here and if he really has a problem he can come here himself. I do not care if you believe the decision is not wise, it is mine to make, not yours,” Loki said defiantly, gaze not wavering from Thor’s blue eyes. 

“You should consider this more carefully, does Tony know about the future, about your plans?” Thor said, anger creeping into his voice. 

“There is nothing to tell,” Loki answered coolly. “But maybe you have something to say as to why you sent a Midgardian stripper to my chambers?” 

“What? I had no idea that was what they were, if I had then I would not have even considered sending them.” 

“Either way it is of no more importance, this situation has nothing to do with you. A relationship is between two people, not three. Your opinions are irrelevant, your words are unimportant and your actions are your own, I have no part in them.” 

Finality screamed in his words and Thor received the message loud and clear. Looking slightly annoyed and quite upset, he left through the door he had entered by and disappeared up the short staircase. 

The silence that remained after Thor’s departure was deafening. Tony wasn’t sure what to say after that, and even if he did know he didn’t want to say it because of the look on Loki’s face. It was dark, darker then he had seen in a very long time. It was almost reminiscent of the look that had plastered his face back when the Chitauri had attacked Manhattan. The whole thing made Tony feel uneasy. 

Thinking it was still best not to say anything to Loki, he told JARVIS to switch on some music that immediately began blaring through the speakers. He ordered the AI to turn it down a notch then he picked his tools back up and continued to work on his suit. 

After some time Loki seemed to come back to life. He regained his position and turned to watch Tony work again as he pulled a biscuit out of the packet that lay next to him and began eating it. 

“So, what did Thor mean back then about telling me something?” 

“It is nothing.” 

“It didn’t sound like nothing,” Tony responded, not looking up. 

“It is unimportant.” 

“But-“ 

“NO, it is of no relevance,” Loki shouted. 

Shifting off the workbench, he stalked out the room without a backwards glance, leaving Tony with no doubt that it was something important. 

He tried not to dwell on it too much after Loki left but it was hard. There was something, something very important that he was reluctant to share. If Thor knew about it, it must be serious because Tony knew that Loki didn’t share anything with him anymore. Maybe it was from a while ago. Was it to do with Asgard? Was it dangerous? Did it have to do with Loki’s punishment? 

God’s he hoped not. He had just started to get used to the idea that he and Loki might actually become serious and that didn’t really scare him at all. It had been a long time since he had been committed and he believed that it was time to try again. He wanted to try it with Loki. Waking up the other day next to him had made his heart swell with happiness that it almost hurt. He had forgotten how lonely he had actually been without someone sharing his bed for more than sex. It was time he got over Pepper. 

But if Loki couldn’t tell him the truth, he felt the relationship might be over before it even begins. He decided that he would give Loki some time before he breached the topic again. It was important and Loki not telling him made him worried. He didn’t want to lose Loki yet, not until he was at least close enough to experience the whole pain of losing everything because very soon Loki would become his everything.


	13. Chapter 12

# Chapter 12

Lying in bed, Loki gazed up at the ceiling feeling like a fool. He shouldn’t have reacted that way to Tony. He was curious and who could blame him. He cared, and that’s also the reason that Loki didn’t answer because he cared about Tony and he wanted to protect him from the truth and the future. If it meant lying then he was prepared to do that. But he didn’t want to. He actually wanted to tell Tony everything. He wanted to unload on him, share everything, scream, shout and rage and then he wanted to be taken in his arms and told that it would be okay. Was that too much to ask? Apparently it was. Still he prayed that one day it would happen. Until that day, though, he would have to go on alone. 

Sighing, he climbed out of bed as JARVIS lifted the blinds, allowing light to stream in. For a few minutes he padded around his room bare foot, searching through draws to find some clothes. Once satisfied with his choice, a simple shirt and plain dark jeans, hardly a change from normal, he headed out to prepare his morning mug of tea and maybe grab something to eat. 

He was unprepared, however, for the delicious smell that met his nostrils when he finally opened his bedroom door. All along the corridor the smell grew stronger until he thought he might drown from it. 

When he finally reached the open planned kitchen slash living room, he was surprised to see it was Tony and Tony alone at the kitchen island preparing breakfast. 

“What’s going on,” Loki asked, making his way over to get a closer look. 

“I’m making breakfast,” Tony replied, smiling widely and swatting the god’s hand away when he reached out to take a slice of bacon that was lying on a plate to the side. “Oi keep your hands to yourself and sit down.” 

“But why? What’s going on? And where are the rest of your team, they are usually here at breakfast time?” 

“It’s my tower so I sent them away to make breakfast alone, they have kitchens. Anyway, I felt like doing something nice for my super hot boyfriend,” Tony said, filling up a few more plates with different foods, some of which Loki didn’t recognise, before placing them on the table, kissing Loki’s cheek and taking a seat opposite him. 

The god couldn’t help a small smile creeping onto his face. He would never deny that he loved to be pampered. And this, this was almost ridiculous. Obviously a lot of effort had been put into this because Tony was trying to make up for angering him, but Loki knew that it should be the other way around. He would make it up to Tony soon. 

Leaning forward, he gestured to the contents on some of the plates and asked, “So what is all of this? I don’t think I have seen them before.” 

If it was possible the smile on Tony’s face grew wider. 

“Well this is sorta an English style breakfast because it makes a change and it’s amazing. These are crumpets and are like impossible to find in America. If you want you can put this stuff on, it’s called Marmite and most people say you either love it or hate it, there’s no in between.” He nudged the jar forward slightly. “Obviously we have the cooked breakfast stuffs like bacon and sausages and toast along with the fresh fruit but lastly we have English muffins, I know really inventive with the name aren’t they. Basically they are like these round bread things you toast and put butter on and taste awesome. Come on don’t just take my word for it, eat one. W-why are you staring at me like that?” 

Tony looked at Loki, feeling almost exposed under his gaze. He couldn’t read the expression on the god’s face which made it more difficult to know if he had said or done anything wrong. Instead of panicking, he just sat there and fidgeted for a few seconds that felt more like minutes. 

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked hesitantly when Loki still didn’t move. 

“No, you have done nothing wrong; you have done the total opposite. This is very kind and I am most grateful even though it should be me apologising.” 

“Apologising? What for? This isn’t an apology, it is just something nice.” 

“I know it is and you don’t know how much I appreciate it. But I shouted unnecessarily yesterday when you asked what Thor meant by his words. I shouldn’t have done that,” Loki admitted, breaking eye contact and staring down at his empty plate. 

“Oh no worries,” Tony said, trying to hide the awkward note in his voice. 

“Really?” 

“If you don’t want to share everything then that’s fine, I won’t push you. But if you ever need to talk I’m here, obviously,” He smiled. 

“Thankyou.” 

A silence formed between them for some time and they both had to admit it was more than just slightly awkward. It was broken, however, by Loki’s stomach growling loudly. 

“I really think you should eat, sorry if it’s cold now.” 

Loki happily began to fill his plate with the obvious foods before he picked up a crumpet and pulled the Marmite towards him. 

“I see your being adventurous,” Tony joked, watching Loki stick his knife into the jar and scraping some of its contents onto his crumpet. 

“I am making the most of this food because I doubt the Captain will prepare something like this.” 

“Hey I prepared all this,” The genius said indignantly. 

“I didn’t even know you could cook,” Loki replied, taking a bite of his crumpet and chewing. 

“Yeah well I’m full of surprises.” He winked at Loki who swallowed then pulled a strange face. “And I take it that you’re not a fan of Marmite.” 

“I think I’ll just stick with the plain English muffins, they seem safer.” 

Breakfast continued to pass as they both enjoyed each other’s company. The conversation ran thin at times but that was probably due to the earlier conversation and yesterday’s events. Or they were just unable to speak because they were eating from the wide spread of foods that lay before them. Still, it was a pleasant start to the day and neither of them wanted to part ways yet, not that Tony had told him yet that they weren’t going to. 

Once they had eaten all they could manage, they left the remaining food and all of the dirty plates at the table in hope that someone else would clear it all up later. They moved over to the sofa and collapsed onto each other. Loki sat at one end with his back resting on the arm and his legs draped over Tony’s, who sat next to him. 

They didn’t say anything for a while, just sat and stared at each other. Tony watched Loki carefully, searching his face so he knew every detail. He wanted to always remember the way his eyebrows raised when he was surprised and how he lightly chewed his bottom lip when he was deep in thought. He wanted to memorise the crinkles the appeared when he smiled or frowned and most of all he wanted to always remember the whooshing feeling he received when returning to the real world after being lost in his eyes. 

“Do you not have work to attend to? Your business?” Loki asked, lifting his head from where it had fallen back against the arm of the sofa. 

“Probably but being with you is much more fun.” 

“And what is fun about it?” 

“Everything. Why? You not finding this fun?” 

“I could think of more entertaining ways to pass the time,” Loki smiled slyly, sitting up and leaning closer into Tony. 

“So could I.” 

With that Tony leapt forward onto Loki and straddled his lap. Moving his face close, he claimed Loki’s lips for his own. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Entering through the large, newly cleaned glass doors, she headed across the foyer, not stopping until she reached the lift on the other side. Tapping her foot impatiently, her eyes flicked to the dial on top of the doors stating which floor the lift was on. It was still over halfway up the tower. For being exceptionally smart and incredibly rich she thought that Tony might have thought to install at least two lifts so people weren’t left waiting. After that thought the doors slid open, to which she smiled at. 

Stepping into the empty lift, she reached over and tapped the button for the floor that she wanted. 

“Hold it,” someone cried as they ran across the entrance hall. 

It was a few seconds before they arrived but when they did Pepper’s small smile turned into a beam. 

“Ah Steve,” Pepper said, smiling at the Captain as he jumped in and stood next to her. 

“Miss Potts it’s nice to see you,” Steve greeted, nodding politely. “So where are you heading?” 

Lifting out the stack of papers that had been tucked neatly under her arm, she showed them to Steve. “I need Tony to sign these and I need to discuss some things with him.” 

Steve smiled awkwardly and Pepper sent him a questioning look. 

“It’s just that Tony asked, well told everyone to get off his floor today. He really doesn’t want to be disturbed by anyone...no offence. I’m just passing on the message.” 

“I’m sure he will be fine, unless he has company?” She sent Steve another look and he quickly averted his eyes. 

The lift clattered loudly, disrupting the very awkward silence that had formed. Steve continued not to meet Pepper’s gaze. He wasn’t sure at all if h should tell her the truth or not. Already he had told far too many people and Tony hadn’t been happy about it. But Pepper, she was different. Right? Are you supposed to share with someone’s ex-girlfriend that they had moved on with a man who just so happened to be the psycho god that had attempted world domination. No, he definitely didn’t want to be the deliverer of that information. 

But he couldn’t lie, not now. Not after she was sending him very odd looks. And they were in a very confined space which meant she could always beat it out of him or bombard him with vicious or manipulating comments that had him spilling his inner most secrets. Those were the thoughts that the Captain realised he was being stupid. Pepper wasn’t like that. She was a kind, caring, trustworthy woman. She was also very calm considering she had had to put up with Tony for many years. 

“Steve, Steve are you okay?” 

“Um yeah it’s just that...”He trailed off before taking a deep breath, then he spilled everything. 

By the time he had finished they had reached the top floor, but Pepper had ordered JARVIS to keep the doors shut, to which he happily obliged. She didn’t say anything to Steve. She didn’t even look at him. 

He wasn’t sure if it was shock written on her face because it was such a mess of emotions. But then she cleared her throat and suddenly her face was blank. No emotion crossed it. It was like a blank canvas ready for its first coat of paint. She didn’t paint it however. It remained blank as she finally let JARVIS open the doors and she stepped out onto Tony’s floor. 

At first it was quiet, nothing moved, nothing spoken. As she stepped further onto the top floor, her high heels making loud tapping noises on the hard wood floors, she looked around carefully before she froze, mid stride. 

On the sofa sat Tony and Loki, or more Loki sat on the sofa with Tony atop him, lips locked together and hands buried in each other’s hair. Hearing a noise by the lift, Loki moved his head up to look but Tony, not hearing anything, took it as an invitation to kiss and suck his way down the god’s neck. 

Loki’s gaze settled on Pepper, who had not moved a muscle. Knowing it was best to stop Tony he tried to push him off, muttering his name but it did nothing. After a few more attempts and a more forceful shove he finally lifted his head with a questioning expression on his face. 

“You have company,” Loki said, looking back over to where Pepper stood and Steve stood, a couple of steps behind. 

“Pepper, what? Oh Steve I should have known you’d tell, come on now all you need is Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and you’ll have a full set,” Tony said, moving off Loki and standing up. 

He offered Loki his hand which he took to help him up then they disconnected and made their way over to the others. Pepper watched their every movement with scrutinising eyes as though trying to search for evidence to confirm what had already be confirmed. 

Tony stopped a few steps in front of Pepper, facing her straight on, while Loki hung back a step behind with his body slightly at an angle, a defensive move. 

“Are you going to explain this Tony or what? Because I really think Steve had got the wrong idea.” 

“Wrong idea? Did you not just walk in on us or was that my imagination?” 

Pepper sighed loudly, “For God’s sake are you insane? This, this is stupid and ridiculous, what made you possibly think that hooking up with that was a good idea?” 

“Hey don’t even go there Pepper, this has nothing to do with you,” Tony said coolly. No one seemed to notice that Steve was slowly backing out the room. 

“Of course it’s to do with me, we were together for quite a while if you remember,” She cried, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. 

“Yeah and I also remember you walking out on me to go off with some S.H.I.E.L.D agent so-“ 

“I didn’t go off, I told you straight what was going on and it’s not like I abandoned you. I’ve still kept your business going this whole time!” 

Watching the argument unfold, Loki wasn’t quite sure how to feel. Already he didn’t really like Pepper, but at this moment he wasn’t sure he liked Tony either. How could he not have told him about this woman? She was obviously important to him or at least used to be, at least, and yet he hadn’t mentioned her once, not even an offhand comment about something irrelevant. 

“I know that Pep and I’m grateful but this,” He gestured between himself and Loki. “This is my personal life and you don’t control that.” 

“What are you telling me you love him? The one that killed Phil and caused you to have anxiety attacks, I really don’t think that’s a good start for a relationship, do you?” Pepper snapped. 

“I-I er I...and that has nothing to do with it, that’s in the past.” 

“So you’re saying you can forget all of that, you can forget everything he has done, all the lives he’s ruined because there were a lot.” 

She turned and stared straight at Loki, who stared back but said nothing. What could he say? He couldn’t defend himself against true facts. He knew he had done those things and he constantly was reminded everyday. Even if he wanted to reply to the woman that was throwing these words at him, he didn’t know how to reply. His voice had gone. How could Tony not have told him about the anxiety? Their relationship had not started on the good note he thought it had. 

“I don’t know what you want me to say Pep.” 

“Forget it Tony, but remember when this mucks up don’t come crying to me because I can’t and won’t sort out any more of your messes.” 

With that she turned on her heels and stalked towards the lift that opened as soon as she reached it. As the doors shut, they saw she had her head held high and her back ramrod straight. 

After she was gone Tony didn’t move and neither did Loki. Tony didn’t want to look at Loki; he didn’t want to see the expression that would be waiting for him. He had been an idiot to think he could keep all this stuff hidden. He should have mentioned it before hand. But what was he supposed to do now, Tony Stark didn’t do feelings. 

“Why didn’t you say anything,” Loki asked quietly. 

“About what?” 

“Everything, everything. About this woman who seems to think there is still something between you and about the anxiety attacks.” 

“Pepper doesn’t think there is something still between-“ 

“How can you not see it?” Loki said loudly, making Tony flinch. “Just why didn’t you tell me about her?” 

Anger flared in Tony. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know we were sharing everything now. Why are you so upset about it? We’re not together now so what does it matter?” 

“How would you feel if someone I used to be intimate with came back shouting all this stuff about you?” 

“I’d be cool with it.” 

“So you’d be totally fine to learn that I used to be married?” 

“What?” Tony spun around and faced Loki head on. “That’s totally different!” 

“It is not Stark, it is just the same.” Loki unfolded his arms and dropped them to his sides. 

They fell back into silence as they just stared at each other. Both had anger written all over their faces but hidden in the lines were hurt and sadness. Trust had always been an issue for them both and this was just proving it tenfold. 

“But that’s marriage, how could you not mention that?” 

“Like you said, I didn’t know we were sharing everything,” Loki shouted. 

“If you’re going to turn this all back on me then fine, just go away. I don’t wanna talk about this anymore,” Tony said exhaustedly. 

And to his surprise Loki did exactly what he said. The second he looked back the god was gone and then a door was shut firmly down the corridor. 

Sighing quietly, Tony headed off to his workshop, the only place he had ever been able to drown away his sorrows. Work, music, alcohol. The best medicine money could buy. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Loki shut the door and fell onto his bed where he just lay staring at the ceiling. What was he supposed to do now? He didn’t want to fight Tony again. He didn’t want to talk to him but he didn’t want to lose him either. Everything was a mess in his head. Trying to think of a solution to this problem was obviously never going to happen tonight so instead he crawled under the covers, not bothering to change, and closed his eyes ready to fall asleep. 

Sleep didn’t come quickly but when it finally did it was punctured by strange dreams with rushing images. Sometimes it was dark then light flooded in, illuminating scenes he had never seen before. Tony was there then he was gone, Thor appeared and spoke but no words came out. Then everything began to swirl. Round and round until all the colours became one. Suddenly everything went black. Then the darkness shattered and something huge and powerful reared up inside Loki. 

He awoke and sat bolt upright, panting. A stinging on his wrists drew his gaze towards them and when his eyes fell on them they were red as though the skin had been rubbed hard. The bracelets that contained his magic were gone. He looked to the floor where they lay in pieces, no way of ever being fixed. 

He wasn’t allowed another moment to think before he was dragged backwards into darkness.


	14. Chapter 13

# Chapter 13 

For a few long seconds he was flying, blue and white lights blurring as he sped by. Then he hit the ground, which had suddenly materialized before him, with such force he felt it vibrate from the impact. His head smacked the floor, knocking all sense from his body. 

After a while of just laying still he managed to roll himself over. He caught glimpses of buildings, all of which gold, and a huge palace that shone bright even in the dark. If it wasn’t for his head, he would have been able to see clearly, but instead his head was swimming and his vision was blurring. As hands grabbed at his body and heaved him off the ground, Loki went limp as unconsciousness claimed him. 

When he finally awoke it felt like he had only been out for a few minutes, but when he realised the room he occupied was lit with natural light he knew a longer time period must have passed. His vision was still fuzzy and his head still pounded meaning he couldn’t focus on anything. He wanted to care where he was but really the bed he was laying on was so comfortable he couldn’t care. 

A voice spoke nearby but he was so out of it he only heard faint mumblings. “Go, fetch the Allfather. Tell him Loki has awoken.” 

It sounded as though a person left the room by the sounds of a door opening and closing. Another person remained in the room until the door was pushed open forcefully. Hurried footsteps announced the second person had left the room meaning he was now left alone with this third mystery person. 

“Loki,” A deep voice said. 

Loki recognised the voice immediately, but no...It couldn’t be. His eyes flew open and he sat up fast. As his vision became focused, he saw the shape of a man he thought he wouldn’t be seeing again for a very long time. Edging away from the side of the bed his back pressed firmly against the wall. With nowhere else to go, and with nothing else to look at, Loki gave in and looked Odin straight in the eye. 

“I don’t know what happened, the bracelets shattered and I could do nothing to stop them. My magic just broke through, it was such a strong surge that they couldn’t help to stop it.” 

“It would only happen if you were experiencing some very strong emotions, it had to be powerful enough to call back your magic that had been forced so deep inside you,” Odin answered, staring at Loki intently. 

Not knowing how to reply to that, Loki brought his legs up to his chest and rested his hands upon them. What was he supposed to do? What was going on? His magic had broken through his bonds, he couldn’t be contained. He should already be hanging in chains in one of the darkest cells Asgard had to offer. Why was he just sitting here talking to Odin? There was no anger in his voice; there was no emotion at all. 

“You will not be locked away,” The Allfather said, as though reading Loki’s mind. “You will travel back to Midgard accompanied by Thor, once he arrives and we will carry on as though this never happened.” 

“But why?” 

“You have served your punishment well, you have accepted every rule and every demand without protest and you have proved that how you acted before was not of your doing.” Loki’s gaze snapped back to his face, shock written on his face. “Yes Loki, I know. It was not you who attacked Midgard, or more it was just a shadow of you. You were there in body but not in spirit.” 

“You know everything then?” 

“I know enough to guess the rest, some I would rather not know.” A saddened expression passed over Odin’s face. 

“But my magic, as part of my punishment, was said to be bound.” 

“I am giving you a chance. You may have your magic if you swear to only use it when needed. If, as before, you use this power to hurt Midgard in any way you will be in Asgard in a cell and that will be where you remain.” 

Loki just nodded in response. He had been given a chance, another chance. Not that he had broken the first chance, but still this was difficult to process. He had been living with the thought for over a year that if he stepped out of line just once he would be dragged back to Asgard, no trial, no fight, no question. Yet here he was being told that he could keep his magic and carry on living in Midgard. 

Standing up, Odin moved towards the door obviously showing that he was taking his leave. His expression had fallen back to its blank state, giving away nothing. But maybe that’s what came with knowing everything, showing nothing. 

“It seems that Thor has arrived. I will leave you to get dressed, come join us when you are ready. I know Frigga is very eager to see you.” 

“But I thought I was leaving with Thor straight away.” 

Loki didn’t want to stay for longer. He wanted to get back to normality, to the avengers team. The people he had actually started to like. Midgardian’s really weren’t as bad as he first thought. And he needed to get back to Tony. He needed to sort out their issues before it was too late. 

“He’s worried about you. He wants to know if you are okay.” 

His gaze snapped up to Odin’s and met his one grey eye. 

“You know?” 

“Yes Loki, I know and no I am not angry,” He said, seeing Loki’s mouth opening to speak. “I am glad you are finally finding some happiness, he is a good man.” 

The dark haired god smiled slightly at that. Yes Tony was a good man, a man he didn’t deserve. 

“So I can go back soon?” Loki asked. 

“Stay for a day, that’s all I ask. We used to be your family, we still are your family. Your mother loves you dearly and hasn’t seen you in over a year. Let her fuss, let her show her love. Please just for a day let us be family again.” 

The expression that had crossed over Loki’s face fell, he didn’t want to stay. No matter what anyone said, these people were not his family. No anymore. This was becoming too much. He had tried for so long to bury all his feelings towards his adopted parents and now they were digging down and dragging them all back up to the surface. 

He tried to think of it in context. It was just a day. Tomorrow he would be back at the tower, back in his new life and back with Tony. They could make up for their argument and talk and kiss and hold each other because they were together and they could get past a stupid fight. That thought helped Loki along the road of emotions. Whenever things began to get too much throughout that day, he thought of Tony and he calmed. He knew Tony would be waiting for him. Or at least he hoped he would. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Sighing loudly Tony admitted defeat and climbed out of bed. Heading to the bathroom, he relieved himself then washed his hands before picking up his shaver and beginning to neaten up his beard. By the time he had finished the clock had worked its magic and it was now considered a reasonable time to get up. 

He left his room after he found some clothes and walked towards the kitchen, ready for his morning coffee. The caffeine boost would serve him well when all he planned to do that day was sit in his workshop and work. Then the memory came back of Loki walking out on him and how he had made a prat of himself. Okay so before work he would have to apologise. They could easily work this out. 

There was silence when he entered the kitchen, which was odd seeing as the whole team were gathered there. 

“Err has someone died or are you all just practising for when Fury takes up stand-up comedy?” 

“Tony, something’s happened and well it’s sort of bad,” Bruce said. 

“O-kay now I’m worried, what’s going on?” 

That’s when Thor stepped forward and spoke in his deep somewhat troubled tone. “My brother has been taken back to Asgard after breaking one of the first rules set by the Allfather.” 

At first Tony thought it was a joke and laughed, but seeing the others faces it quickly died away. “You can’t be serious.” 

“He broke the bonds that kept his magic locked away. My father has summoned me but I felt it necessary to deliver this news myself as I’m not sure when I shall return. Do not stress about this, I will return as soon as possible to tell you the news.” 

“But, but no Loki wouldn’t do that. Thor, hey, you can’t just leave!” 

“I’m sorry Tony but I do not have the answers you seek, I don’t know why Loki has done this. I must leave now.” With those final words, the golden god looked to the ceiling, shouted Heimdall and vanished a second later, engulfed in bright light. 

Once he was totally gone, no one knew what to say. Obviously they had already asked the important questions before Tony arrived but they could not be answered. As Thor said, he knew nothing. Breakfast had been completely forgotten. Steve hadn’t even bothered to begin cooking something up because it looked like no one felt like eating. 

“Just to let you know, Fury’s on his way here now. He called an emergency meeting,” He said, watching Tony for his response. 

“He already knows? Who told him?” 

“No one, he found out himself. Don’t forget he had his own devices installed into the tower to keep watch on Loki. One of those must have been set off and then he would have been alerted.” 

“Well that’s fucking perfect.” 

Tony walked into the living room and threw himself down on one of the sofas. This had to be the worst possible start to the day ever. What did they expect him to do, just sit there and wait? Like hell he could do that. And even if he could, he wouldn’t. 

Why had Loki done this? He thought things were going well for the god. He thought he meant something to him or was it all just fake. Thor did once say that everything was a game to him and he would play his part well. Was this the proof? In a way he felt stupid but he also didn’t because deep down he didn’t believe Loki had used him. He didn’t believe Loki had broken free either. Tony knew he hadn’t been close to Loki for very long and he had been dating him for an even smaller amount of time but he still felt he knew him. He knew there was a balance with him, it would occasionally slip to a side but mostly he stayed on centre. He was calm now, he didn’t want to cause mischief that involved raising an army and taking over the world. Loki had broken free but not for all the reasons everyone else believed. 

But what if no one believed him? It’s not like he could prove Loki’s innocence. Then a thought struck him so hard that it felt like he had been punched in the head. What if Loki never came back? What if he was locked in Asgard and was never allowed back? What if he never saw the god again? The rush of emotion that washed through him then almost knocked him off balance and if he had been standing, he probably would have stumbled over. He had to see Loki again, he had to! 

His distressing musings were interrupted by the lift arriving and Fury stomping out. 

“Where’s Thor?” He demanded, not even bothering with formalities. 

“He left a couple of minutes ago,” Steve replied immediately. 

Fury stepped into the centre of the room so all the team could see him. His eyes darted to each of them in turn and studied their expressions, getting an idea of their moods and thoughts. 

“What the hell is up with Stark?” He said loudly. 

Tony didn’t look up because he was lost in his thoughts again. The director moved closer to him but it did nothing to distract him. 

“Stark!” 

“What?” Tony shouted, head snapping up so his dark brown eyes could meet Fury’s almost black one. 

In frustration Fury turned to the others, his annoyed expression telling them he wanted an explanation. None of them volunteered to explain. This really wasn’t how they wanted to tell Fury. 

“Um Tony maybe you should explain,” Bruce said, taking a seat next to his friend. 

“Explain? What’s there to explain? Me and Loki are, were, are in a relationship.” 

Fury stared for a second. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” He said in response, raising his eyebrows. 

“No I’m serious alright now can everyone shut up because I’m really not in the mood to talk.” 

“No I cannot shut up when I’ve just found out one of my team was been possibly compromised by one of the most dangerous enemy’s this planet has ever seen.” 

“I’m not compromised, why can no one except I actually like him? Do you see him going crazy? Has he ever given you an idea that he was gunna break free before today? No. What does that tell you? Whatever this is, whatever’s happened, it’s not Loki’s fault.” 

“So just because you thought he was sane you thought it would be a smart ass idea to jump in to bed with him.” 

“When I say relationship I mean it, I don’t mean a quick fuck every other day,” Tony spat, standing up to face Fury. 

The director didn’t reply to that. He left his mouth hanging open, the snarky reply he had been preparing totally gone from his thoughts. No more words rolled off his tongue. He simply stood staring at the genius. 

Clint and Natasha exchanged a look. Both knew where Fury was coming from but they also supported Tony too. They had seen firsthand the change in Loki, no one more so than Clint. Neither of them could deny he was sane now. The mad glint in his eye had been diminished and the stiffness in his posture had melted away. He was Loki now, the proper Loki, not whatever the hell the Chitauri had sent. 

“Say if Loki is proved innocent for this and comes back, what if I say no to your little _relationship_ as you call it?” 

“ _When_ Loki is proved innocent and comes back I will tell you to shove your rules up your ass and carry on seeing him.” 

“What do you think of this Banner?” Fury demanded, giving up on Tony and taking a different approach. 

As all eyes turned on him, including the genius’s himself, Bruce sighed. He removed his glasses, polished them on his shirt before placing them back so they balanced comfortably on his nose. 

“My opinion doesn’t matter, it’s up to Tony what he does and if he wants to be with Loki I don’t think any of us can stop him. Really I think we should all stop worrying about it and focus on the real issue at hand.” 

Fury looked like he wanted to protest but the others were all eager to change the subject and get on with the important stuff. They moved to the kitchen and all took seats to discuss. Tony remained in the living room and took up his seat once again on the sofa. 

With no distractions, his mind took over and began to play him a series of clips he would rather not think about at that moment. Loki could be in Asgard being questioned and abused and yet he could do nothing. His perfectly unblemished skin could be being scarred and bruised while he just sat there. 

Tony let his head fall into his hands as he sighed deeply. This was going to be a very long wait for Thor to return. Maybe alcohol would help the time pass faster. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Finally it was over. He could go back. The day had been far harder than he first imagined it to be. When he saw his mother again, well his adopted mother, she threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder as he hugged her back awkwardly. She had then gone on to engage him in conversation about his time on Midgard and about the people he stayed with. He tried actively to avoiding the subject of Tony, knowing it would only cause for even worse conversation and would also bring Thor’s anger flooding back to the surface. Surprisingly the thunder god had stayed silent over the matter but Loki knew he wanted to discuss it, which meant he wanted to dissuade Loki from it. 

Perhaps the worst part of the day was in fact dinner. Frigga had a whole feast prepared for them. All the food was glorious and perfectly cooked and garnished but Loki could barely eat. All this was too familiar of the times when they would sit down just as a family and talk and laugh. And that Loki couldn’t take. It became too much to bear as the early evening turned into late night. He soon excused himself to his room where he just sat on the edge of the bed. It was too much too fast. He wanted to go home. Not Asgard, he wanted to go to his new home. 

The night had been long but he had survived and now here he stood in one of the side rooms off the huge entrance hall that was the greeting sight for anyone entering the palace. Tapping his foot on the marble floor, he waited slightly impatiently for Thor and Odin to arrive. He had been led down from his room, by one of the many maids, and asked to wait for the others to arrive. But there was waiting and then there was waiting. This was ridiculous. 

Just when Loki gave up and sat on the edge of one of the tables, a side door opened and in came Odin. No Thor, perfect. 

“Thor will meet us at the Bifrost but I wish to talk to you before we head off.” 

“Okay,” Loki replied. What else could he say? He couldn’t refuse. The quicker he got this over with, the quicker he got back. 

Odin hovered for a moment. He appeared as though he wished to say something and yet no words escaped his mouth. Standing by the door he had entered from, he cleared his throat. It still took a few minutes before he actually spoke. 

“Seeing you again now after not seeing you for so long has made me see there is a difference in you,” The Allfather began. Loki rolled his eyes but made no comment. So it was going to be one of these talks. “I see now that you are healthy, you are no longer plagued with evil thoughts and you have begun to move on. This man that you have grown close to, I see that he means a lot to you. More than you would like some to know. I will give you this advice; don’t let him love all that he sees. Let him see what’s under this surface, let him know you properly-“ 

“I’m sorry but what does this have to do with anything?” 

“Now that you have regained your magic you can show him all of your sides, all your forms.” 

Something clicked into place in Loki’s mind. “I’m not ready to show anyone that.” 

“Your Jotun heritage is nothing to be ashamed of.” 

“You were the one who brought me up fearing and hating them,” Loki shouted. “And now you’re telling me it’s okay to...to be one of them.” 

“When it comes to the future, I know what is coming as do you. The Chitauri will not stop in their hunt for you and you know that too. When they come you will need all the help and support you can get. You will need this man and if he doesn’t truly know you, how do you expect him to stand next to you. Let others accept you so you can accept yourself.” 

“I don’t need acceptance; I need to just get on with it. So what if the Chitauri are coming, I can’t stop them, with or without Anthony’s help.” 

A sad expression filled Odin’s face as he looked at Loki. “I wish I could help you but helping means risking all out war between Asgard and the Chitauri. Midgard is right in the middle, the planet could be destroyed and its people slaughtered. I cannot risk that.” 

“Yes, yes I know,” Loki muttered. 

“So tell Anthony of these problems, let him help you. Thor did give you the book, did he not?” 

“Yes he gave me the damn book but what do you expect me to do. There is no answer, there is no stopping this, so can we all stop pretending. The Chitauri will come and take me away, they will take me to _him_ and I will be forced to beg for my life.” 

Odin shook his head, pressing his fingers to his temple. “Don’t give up hope, there is always hope.” 

“I said that to myself the first time when I let go but look where that got me,” Loki snapped, watching in triumph as the Allfather’s expression turned even sadder. “Don’t just blame Midgard for why you cannot help me. You know the real reason is because the Aesir voted against it, voted against helping me. That’s why me being here now has been kept so quite, the palace has been practically empty. Obviously because if the others found out there would be riots. Being sent to Midgard was not my punishment, you would never offer something so light. No, I was banished and cannot return here, that’s why you cannot help. Don’t pretend you care, you’re a terrible actor.” 

“I’m sorry Loki, my son, I’m sorry-“ 

“Stop saying that. You’re not sorry and I’m not your son,” He hissed before stalking towards the doors. He had had enough, it was time to leave. 

So they left. Odin didn’t speak again until Thor and Loki took their places, ready to travel back to Earth. The rainbow bridge had been rebuilt to all its former glory since he had last seen it. The reminder of that event stung so he pushed it away. 

There were quick farewells in which Frigga let the tears fall as she hugged Loki again before stepping back to stand beside Odin. He just said a hurried goodbye and a reminder of the price of what will happen if Loki abused his magic. After that it all went silent as Heimdall inserted his sword into the slot. Before Loki had a chance to look back, he was sucked into the between lands that lay between each realm. He was flying, rushing fast until his feet hit the hard wood floor of Tony’s tower. He was home. He was happy.


	15. Chapter 14

# Chapter 14

He could hear them whispering. They really thought he could sleep? How could he sleep? Tony shifted on the sofa but didn’t move too much, not wanting to draw attention to himself. 

It had been quiet for some time, everyone deciding to take seats and wait for Thor’s return instead of arguing and causing pointless friction between them. They had all had to separate out, much to their dismay, due to Tony being stretched across the whole of one sofa after drinking as much as his team permitted him. 

Feeling only a slight buzz, he had admitted defeat and collapsed down face first into the cushions. Although much time passed, sleep never came. Now the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon and everyone was well and truly exhausted. 

“Is he actually asleep?” Clint mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. 

“Dunno,” Bruce yawned. 

“Can’t just go lay down for a while?” Natasha asked, looking around at them. 

Steve lifted his head from where it had been resting on the kitchen island. “No, Fury told us to stay awake until Thor gets back and then he wants a full report.” 

“But it’s morning now and I need rest!” 

No one bothered to reply, they all felt the same way. They were exhausted and all talked out. Spending too much time in close proximity to your friends can make them into enemies very quickly. The team were on the brink of reaching the super pissed off freak out stage. 

The annoyed silence was interrupted by what sounded like a huge pair of wings beating. All the Avengers looked to the others for some sort of explanation. Footsteps drew their attention away from each other and brought it to the corridor that led to the other rooms on Tony’s floor. 

Thor stepped into view causing everyone to jump to their feet. Hearing the noise himself, Tony had given up feigning sleep and was now standing up straight, facing the thunder god with a stern look that hid his worry. Thor didn’t meet his eye but his gaze did stray in his general direction, his expression also giving nothing away. Tony’s heart broke as he listened to the unspoken words. Loki wasn’t coming back. He was alone. 

But Thor stepped to the side and everyone took a sharp intake of breath. Tony, whose gaze had fallen to the floor, glanced up and was met with the sight of Loki walking a few steps forward so he was fully entered into the room. It was as though his heart had been inflated like a balloon that threatened to escape through his mouth. He swallowed hard and tried to come to terms with what he was seeing. Loki was there, he was real, he hadn’t left. Striding forward, the genius stopped dead in front of Loki and just stared at him and he stared back. 

With such an intense expression on his face no one knew if he was about to hit or kiss Loki. It appeared that the god didn’t know himself because a second later Tony grabbed his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss that caught him so off guard that he remained frozen for a few seconds. But as the realisation set in he relaxed his posture and allowed himself to be lost in the moment. He pressed his lips against Tony’s and let his hands slide down until leaving them to rest on his lower back, bringing Tony even closer so their bodies brushed together. 

Someone coughed awkwardly but the pair locked together didn’t know or care although both their guesses was that it was Clint. When their lips finally separated, they were both left panting from the lack of oxygen. Not wanting to lose contact, they rested their foreheads together. 

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” Tony whispered. 

Loki just shut his eyes and hummed quietly in reply. 

“Um guys not to break up this oh so precious moment between you but I really think we need an explanation and if Fury finds out Thor’s back and we haven’t reported he will flip out,” Clint said, smirking at them from across the room. 

“Well, let him know then,” Tony answered, taking a small step back so that he could turn his head to look at the archer. 

Not too much longer later they had all piled into two flash looking cars and were being driven to the ‘unknown’ location that was S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony was seated next to Loki and their fingers were loosely entwined between them. Neither had spoken anymore to the other but they didn’t need words. By Tony’s display earlier it was obvious how he was feeling. He had given up hope when he had first laid eyes on Thor standing alone. But then the light had been restored in his eyes and hope flooded back as Loki had revealed himself. 

Tony hadn’t spoken anymore because he didn’t want to know what happened. He didn’t want to find out that there was a limited time to this joy and that soon enough Loki would be back in Asgard, serving his time properly. No, he didn’t want to know that. It was easier to stay quiet and let only his thoughts run wild and not his mouth. 

Loki didn’t speak because he knew what Tony was thinking. He knew it would be wise to console him and not let him dwell on these thoughts. But really he was enjoying the feeling of the genius’s calloused fingers brushing against his own far too much. He preferred to only explain this once, he didn’t want to go through his trip back to Asgard more times. Of course there would be questions, of course there would be confusion. He would deal with it when it happened, he would put Tony’s worries to rest when he told the others at the same time. When they got back to the tower, if Tony still had other questions, he would answer as best he could. Tony deserved that after being put through hell for two days. 

Just like last time, they entered into the meeting room with the long table and high-backed chairs led, of course, by their driver with his ironed suit and mysterious looks. They took their seats and waited for Fury to join them. It wasn’t too much longer that the opposite door to which they had entered through flew open and Fury marched in, surveying them all before his eyes rested on Loki. 

“So you’re back.” 

“Yes.” 

“Care to start explaining,” Fury said, waving his hand at Loki. 

The god rolled his eyes at Fury’s tone but started talking anyway. He started off with the reason why he was taken back to Asgard in the first place. He said about how his magic had broken through its bonds and had triggered a spell that was attached to the bracelets that meant once they were broken or inactive he would be taken back to the land of the gods. 

“Wait wait wait, am I missing something? You were just allowed back here, fully equipped with your magic mojo and the all-mighty one doesn’t give a fuck?” 

“I was getting to that bit, Director” Loki said, doing his best to keep the distain out of his tone. Next to him Tony fought back a chuckle. “I have one chance, just like before, that if I use my magic for purposes that are deemed unacceptable, there will be consequences although I’m not sure what they will be.” 

“I thought you’d be dragged back to Asgard in chains.” 

“Circumstances have changed and new information has come to light that I believe you should probably know. Staying here on Midgard, in the Avenger’s tower, is not my punishment. It was simply a cover to keep me here. I have been banished from Asgard and cannot return-“ 

“Who said this?” Thor boomed, leaning across the table towards Loki. 

Loki turned his gaze from Fury to Thor. “The Allfather.” 

“But it cannot be true, he has never mentioned this.” 

“He doesn’t mention a lot of things Thor, that doesn’t mean they are not true,” Loki replied, bitterness creeping into his voice. “Actually there are a lot of things that are not true and I think it is the right time to say them. I was not in my own mind when I attacked your planet, I was haunted and controlled by a much higher power.” 

“I’m sorry but are we finally hearing your excuses speech?” Fury asked. 

“Excuses? Oh no, this is real life, this is truth. I’ve been hiding this and denying this for so long when truly what is the point?” He slammed his fist down on the table. “The truth is that it was the real me when the destroyer was sent down to Midgard, it was the real me that tried to kill Thor in the middle of one of your streets. After that I succeeded in killing my biological father, and was part of the reason why the Bifrost was destroyed so yes part of me is the evil you think it is but do not blame me for all without first knowing the truth.” 

He had had enough, everything was just so wrong. He was tired of always being blamed, he was tired of never being listened to. It was like he was back to growing up with Thor again and everyone always doted on him, knowing he was the future king. Loki was the forgotten one, shunted to one side. Never listened to, never appreciated. But he had had enough. These people would listen to him. They would know the truth. 

“So how did you end up being controlled by this ‘higher power’?” The Director asked. 

“I...” Loki looked over to Thor, who sent him a sad look in return. “I fell into the between, the space between the realms. They found me and took me in. The between breaks your mind, it consumes your soul.” His voice had reached a low level and he had gone very pensive. “When they took me I was merely a shell of myself, my mind was mostly gone but they gave it the final push. It’s easy to consume and control something that is so empty.” 

Tony was watching Loki very closely. He had never heard him speak about his time before he arrived on Midgard after being blasted from somewhere on the other side of the universe. There had always been questions buzzing around his mind about it but he had never found a moment that was right enough to question him. But now Loki was giving the information freely which he supposed was a good think although Tony now didn’t know if he actually wanted to hear it or not. 

On the other hand, Fury was very eager to hear more. “Am I the only one confused about how you fell? Did someone just finally get that annoyed that they pushed your dumb ass off the side of Asgard?” 

“You can’t fall off Asgard,” Loki said slowly and deliberately as though explaining to an incompetent child. “I fell from the rainbow bridge when it was destroyed.” 

“Right okay, is there anything else you want to share before we all go our separate ways?” 

“Er,” Loki hesitated for a second. Should be tell them about the Chitauri and how they were coming for him? Should he warn them? He knew they only wanted him, not the others so perhaps it was best to keep it under wraps. Odin’s words flooded back to him, _when they come you will need all the help and support you can get_. Well it was time he stopped listening to the man who had lied so much in his own life, Loki thought before speaking. “No there is nothing else that needs saying.” 

“Good, now I can say my bit. You two,” Fury said, pointing to Loki and Tony, distracting the latter from staring at the god next to him. “This thing that’s between you, if I think it is having a bad affect on the team or distracting you.” He pointed at Tony. “Even more than normal then I will make it stop.” 

“Yeah whatever, can we go now?” 

“Yes get out.” Just before they tried to leave through the door, all pushing at once, Fury said, “Oh and try and keep out of the Press, I have enough to deal with already.” 

Tony smirked at him then disappeared around the corner. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Arriving back at the tower, they went their separate ways. Bruce left to do more wedding preparations with Betty while Steve headed out to grab some lunch at the Starbucks just across the street. Upon insistence, Natasha convinced Clint she needed to sleep meaning the archer went to his personal gym to train alone. Thor was the only one that joined Loki and Tony in the lift. He got out on his own floor, giving Loki a pat on the arm as he passed and saying, “I’m glad you are back.” 

Loki nodded and even managed a small smile before the doors slid shut, blocking him from view. In a second his back has pushed roughly against the wall and Tony was upon him. Lips, teeth, tongue, he used everything until Loki was a ruffled mess against him, clinging to him so they didn’t fall. Tony tangled his fingers into Loki’s sleek hair, which reached to his shoulders, pushing his head down so he could attack his lips with even more energy. Loki placed one of his hands on Tony’s lower back again but let the other hold the back of his neck, caressing the skin there. 

The lift came to a stop and the doors opened wide. Though not wanting to, Tony let go of Loki and they both walked out onto their floor. Without needing to say it, they both walked towards the living room. Loki flopped down onto one of the sofas while Tony walked to the small bar he had in the room and poured himself and Loki a drink. He handed Loki one of the glasses then took a sip of his own drink before sitting down next to him. 

“So,” Tony said. 

“So,” Loki repeated, leaning to the side and resting his head on the genius’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry I have to check but you weren’t lying, right, when you said that you’re staying? You’re not going back to Asgard?” 

“No I’m not, I cannot return.” 

“Thank god,” Tony breathed. A smile crept onto Loki’s lips. “Are you sad that you can’t?” 

“At first I thought maybe I was but then I thought over these past two days there and I realised that Asgard is no longer my home. I do not belong there, I never truly have. I’ve only just come to terms with that now.” 

“Well Earth really isn’t that bad, you know. We have ice-cream and ACDC and me of course,” Tony said, causing a small chuckle to escape from Loki. 

The god shifted against Tony, getting even closer so he could rest more comfortably on him. As he turned his head more into Tony’s shoulder he breathed in his scent. It was a mixture of alcohol, expensive cologne and something lighter that he couldn’t identify but it caused him to think about rain pattering against a window at night, the relaxing, rhythmic pattering that could lull anyone into a peaceful sleep. He took another breath and allowed the smell to fill his senses until he was totally lost in it. 

“When you said about how you fell, did you really just fall or was there something more?” 

Tony knew it probably wasn’t the time but when really was a good time. After he spoke he noticed Loki had tensed slightly. Not wanting to make him feel stressed, Tony moved his arm to wrap around his shoulders and trace lazy patterns on the exposed skin of his upper arm. 

The sensation on Loki’s arm caused goose bumps to form. Concentrating on that feeling, he took a calming breath and answered. “No I did not just fall. After Thor destroyed the rainbow bridge, it caused a huge explosion that knocked us both flying. Having no control over it I fell over the side but managed to hang on to my staff that Thor was holding onto. As I looked up I saw that Odin was holding both of us. I shouted to him, I said I could have done it and he just said no Loki and...and I felt the last hope of ever being appreciated slip away so I let go.” 

Silence formed between them until Tony said quietly, “You tried to commit suicide.” 

“Yes, I didn’t want to live anymore. I didn’t want to be the failure that everyone believed me to be anymore. When I fell I didn’t know I could survive, I honestly didn’t know what would happen. I suppose death would have been better than what did happen.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It is not your fault, thankyou for listening.” 

“Thankyou for sharing.” 

“I...there is more but...but I’m just not...I’m not ready to say it yet,” Loki muttered, not looking up at Tony. 

“It’s fine,” Tony said. “You’re here, you’re not dead or dying. What more could I wish for?” 

Loki smiled, so unbelievably grateful that Tony had said that. He had missed him, he had worried. Tony cared. That’s all he needed to know, that someone cared about him. He had looked past his faults and mistakes, he had looked past his family and his upbringing. He had chosen to see him, here and now. Happiness welled up inside Loki as he realised that this was the first time he had felt loved since he was a child. 

“Sorry to bring this up but a few days ago, you said you had been married.” 

“Ah yes, that is true. Her name was Sigyn and we were very young when we were forced into married. Yes it was not by choice that we became together which is probably the reason it didn’t work out. We stayed together for almost three years before it was too much and the Aesir finally gave in and let us separate.” 

“I don’t like Asgardian laws.” 

“Neither did I.” 

“So was she upset when you broke up?” 

“No I think she was just as relieved as I was.” 

“Okay now I have one more thing to say, well it’s more of a request actually,” Tony said, smiling when he saw Loki’s slightly confused expression. “Can you show me some magic?” 

“That I can do,” Loki smirked, sitting up straight, allowing Tony to sit up straight as well. 

Putting out his hands in front of him, he began to wave them in intricate patterns as though carving symbols into the air. As his hands worked colours started to stream from them, soon enough a rainbow of colours were following his hand movements, all swirling round each other to create a beautiful scene. Tony was mesmerized as he watched. He had never seen anything like it before. 

When Loki stopped moving his hands, they were surrounded with the whirling colours. Leaning closer he blew gently on the wispy ball. The colours began to spread out so he and Tony were soon engulfed in colour. It only lasted for about a minute before Loki brought his hands together and the colours vanished. 

“That...was...amazing!” Tony said, staring straight into Loki’s eyes where the different shades of green reminded him of the magic that he had just witnessed. 

“Thankyou,” Loki smiled. 

“God how did you get so talented?” Tony murmured, shifting forward to claim Loki’s lips. 

“Years of practise.” 

“You’re so hot.” 

“You’re not too bad yourself,” the god quipped. 

Tony put his hands on either side of his face and guided him into another kiss that lasted far longer than the last. It was slow and calming and just what they both needed after these last few days filled with stress and worry. It was also the moment that they both realised it was more than a crush that they had for the other.


	16. Chapter 15

# Chapter 15

“Anthony stop hovering by the door, if you want to come in, come in.” 

“Right, yeah...yeah I was getting to that bit,” Tony muttered, taking a step so he was only just inside Loki’s room. 

The god of mischief raised an amused eyebrow at him but made no further comment about his unusual behaviour. Being the usually loud mouth genius he was made it always funny to watch him struggle for words. Instead of trying to help him, Loki left him to suffer as he continued to read his book. 

“So-“ 

“Oh thank Valhalla he has a voice,” Loki joked. 

“Yeah thanks,” Tony said, getting more flustered by the second. “Anyway I was wondering if...if you wanted to come to dinner with me tonight?” 

Raising his eyes from the page, Loki looked over at Tony and smiled at how totally awkward he looked. “You seem so worried I might say no. Seeing as we have been together for about three weeks, I’m surprised you haven’t asked me out sooner.” 

“That means yes right?” 

“Of course.” 

Relief washed away the panic as Tony practically sagged against the door frame with joy. 

“Great, so be ready for 8,” He said, turning to walk out but leaning back at the last minute. “Oh and wear something hot,” He finished then disappeared from view. 

Loki continued to smile long after Tony had left. Since coming back from Asgard Tony seemed determined to show him how much better Earth was than ‘the floaty tree land’ as he called it. He had skipped out on work to spend whole days with Loki watching crap TV, he had cooked for him (which Loki now considered one of his favourite talents the genius possessed) and just been totally lovely. It was actually surprisingly hard to believe that they ever thought of eachother as an enemy. 

The whole Avengers team seemed to be thinking this as well, judging by the way they eyed the pair together, not in a mean indignant way more in a curious searching way. They wanted to know what made the couple tick without being overly obvious to look like they were prying. It was just so hard to believe they got on so well and cared about eachother so much even though the evidence was right in front of them. From what they saw now, and the affection that was shown, it was almost impossible to see Loki’s former self. 

Thor had thankfully managed to get past the stage of trying to be the biggest cockblock ever in Loki and Tony’s relationship. After Loki had began to shout at him because he had started to question their activities behind closed doors, Thor had taken a step back and learned to watch their relationship from a distance instead of being directly in the centre. It hadn’t taken him long to become accustomed to the thought of them being together after his first bad reaction where he had cornered them both in Tony’s workshop. 

Realising he was going to get nothing productive done that day, Loki just settled into a more comfortable position, reopened his book to the right page and continued reading. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

At first Tony thought that 8 o’clock couldn’t come round quick enough but then he realised he only had half an hour to do everything and suddenly he wished there was more time. Next invention, he thought as he searched through his closet full of suits, is going to be the time machine. He picked out a very dark blue suit jacket and the matching trousers and tie before selecting his only white shirt that actually looked ironed and didn’t look like it was going grey. For being a very rich man that could pay anyone to wash and look after his clothes properly, he really didn’t use it all that well. 

Luckily he had already shaved and showered so no more time needed to be wasted on appearances. Just before he headed out his room, with 10 minutes left, he applied some of his nicest cologne before taking a brief moment to check his reflection. Seeming satisfied he walked out his bedroom, shutting the door behind him, and made his way to the open plan living room where he paced up and down, trying to ignore the nervous sparks that were being ignited in his stomach. 

When the clock hit 7:55 his pacing grew faster and if someone had been watching they probably would have thought he was trying to wear a hole into the carpet. Only problem was, was that he didn’t have carpet but the general idea was the same. He felt like a jittery teenage boy ready to go knock on his date’s door, ready to take her to the prom. 

As time finally started to move, he checked his watch at regular intervals, wishing more than anything that Loki would just walk round the corner. When the god finally did walk round the corner, Tony longed for him to be gone again. Not that he looked bad or anything, on the contrary, he looked so damn good that Tony didn’t think he would be able to get a straight word out. He just stood stunned as Loki walked towards him with such natural elegance that he knew he would never have himself. 

With his coal black suit and fitted grey waistcoat, Loki was a thing of beauty, a thing of beauty that just so happened to be Tony’s date. How lucky am I? He thought, as the god came to a standstill before him. His hair was slicked back and fell languidly just behind his shoulders in soft waves. The black hair and black suit did not make him appear too dark, all they seemed to do was make his eyes be the central focus of colour with their varying shades of green that could have you staring forever and not have you know how many shades there are. 

“Are you ready to go?” Loki asked, blocking out the nerves that he wished were not affecting him. 

“Ah...yeah, there’s a car waiting outside,” Tony breathed, still not wanting to remove his eyes from his companion. 

“We should probably-“ 

“Yeah, we should.” 

They stepped over to the lift and waited in silence for it to take them down to the ground floor. The doors opened and they walked out next to eachother. Though his face gave away nothing, Tony’s mind was working furiously hard to decide if he should reach out and hold Loki’s hand. How was it so hard? Why was he so scared? They had already had sex and yet he couldn’t do this. Seriously how was Loki doing this to him? It was driving him crazy, Loki was driving him crazy. But it was the good _I can’t focus they’ve taken over my mind_ kind of crazy. 

When they were nearing the doors that led to the outside world, Tony finally plucked up the courage and took Loki’s hand in his own, linking their fingers so his filled in the gaps between the god’s. As Tony adjusted his grip, Loki smiled. This was actually happening. It finally felt real, that he and Tony were together, properly. He never thought he could have the pleasure of enjoying someone’s company again, let alone being romantically involved with them. If only there wasn’t the niggling feeling at the back of his mind reminding him that this can never last. 

The car was waiting for them, as planned, right outside. The driver got out and opened up their door before stepping to the side to allow them entrance. If he was bothered by the fact that Tony Stark’s companion was Loki and that they were holding hands, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even bat an eyelid when Tony also stepped to the side so Loki could climb in the car first. Once they were both seated and comfortable, the driver closed the door as quietly as it would allow and sat back in his own seat where he restarted the engine and drove off. 

“This isn’t my usual guy,” Tony commented, nodding his head towards the driver. 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah I thought it would be better if we had someone else. Happy is great and everything but I’ve had enough of telling people about you and I that I just needed a break. Also tonight is just us, I don’t want any distractions.” 

Loki smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Do you really need to work so hard to not get distracted around me?” 

“Hell no, but Happy talks a lot. Anyway with you looking like that I’m finding it hard to look at anything else.” 

When Tony glanced back up to look at Loki’s face he was surprised to see a light blush creeping up his usually pale cheeks. So Loki could feel shy, that was something new. Wanting to keep that cute look of innocence on the god’s face, he leant over and planted a soft kiss on his flushed cheek. Loki looked down at Tony and smiled a smile that had Tony’s stomach doing summersaults. He knew then it was going to be one of those nights. 

They arrived at the restaurant a short time later. Loki paid no attention to its name but saw, when he entered, that it was posh. Expensive. At least that meant they wouldn’t be disturbed by the general public. So far no one had recognised him and that suited him just fine. 

The staff member at the door led them over to their table which was tucked away in a corner but was next to a window that had a wonderful view over a veranda that had neatly set tables with candles lighting them for the people that wanted to brave the cool air. The man, dressed in his own smart suit and tie, pulled out both their chairs and sat them before handing over menu’s and explaining their specials. 

Tony dismissed him quickly with a well practised order of a bottle of wine that Loki didn’t catch the name of. He didn’t really mind though, as long as it tasted nice there would be no complaint from him. It was literally a minute later the man came back with the bottle tucked neatly inside a bucket of ice that was place to one side of the table. The suit man, whose name Loki discovered was Michael after he read his name badge, took the cork easily out the bottle and poured a small drop in each glass so they could taste the wine. 

Taking up his glass, Loki sampled the wine and was happy with the taste and the way it slipped easily down his throat, leaving a wonderful aftertaste. Nodding at Tony, who had tasted the wine many times before, he said that the wine was good. Tony then told Michael to leave the bottle and to give them a few minutes before they ordered. With a small bow and smile, he walked away to introduce another couple to their table. 

“Anything you would recommend?” Loki asked, flicking through the leather-bound menu. 

“Err for starters I usually go for some sort of soup,” Tony answered, picking up and opening his own menu. “I’m gunna go for the curried parsnip and red lentil soup. I’ve had it before, it’s good.” 

“Well I will have to trust your judgement, make that two. For the main I think I will try the Moroccan spiced slow braised lamb.” 

“I can’t say this time if that’s a good choice, I’ve never tried it but I’m gunna have the grilled peppered rib eye steak because it tastes amazing.” 

They sipped at their wine while waiting for Michael to return to take their order. Soon enough he came striding back to them and wrote down their requests before heading off to the kitchens to let the chef’s know. 

Conversation passed pleasantly between the pair as they waited for their food. They talked of everything, important or not, relevant or totally irrelevant. Loki wanted to know of Tony’s childhood because he had heard very little about it. The genius explained that his mother died when he was young so he was raised by his father who mostly just passed him off onto their housekeepers or Obadiah. This line of conversation carried them all the way through their starter and well into their main course. 

Tony was curious to Loki’s childhood but knew it was a difficult and touchy subject. Loki seemed to know he had questions so sighed in resignation. “As you already know I was adopted but I didn’t find that out until recently. I do not know who my biological mother was but I knew my father, his name was Laufey. He...he was a frost giant, they live in the cold wastelands of Jotunheim which is another of the nine realms.” 

“So if your Laufey’s son, you must be a frost giant.” 

“Yes,” Loki said, trying desperately to remain sitting naturally and not let the disgust and pain creep into his tone and expression. “I’m sorry but can...could we please talk about something else?” 

“Yeah, yeah of course sorry.” 

“Like I said before, there is more I need to tell you but I’m not ready yet.” 

Tony nodded then gulped down the last of his wine before refilling both of their glasses with the glittering gold liquid. A silence formed between them that was very close to becoming awkward after it went on for some time. 

Looking around the restaurant for some inspiration, Tony’s eyes settled on the door that he could only just see from his table. The next moment someone entered that he had not bet on appearing at all. He swore under his breath but could do nothing but hope that he wouldn’t be spotted. 

“Is something wrong?” Loki questioned, seeing the panicked look cross over Tony’s face. 

“Um, yeah someone I know is over there and oh god it’s too late, he’s seen us,” Tony muttered, letting his face fall into his hands. 

There was a whoosh of cold air but he didn’t look up, putting it instead down to someone else opening the door to the outside veranda. 

“Hey Tony, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Rhodey called, making his way over. 

“Me neither,” Tony replied, still not removing his hands. 

“Well aren’t you going to introduce your date?” 

Tony thought that was an odd thing to ask, he could obviously see Loki. Why was he acting like this? And how was he keeping such a calm and relaxed tone. The next thing he heard made his head snap up to look at them all. 

“He’s just being impolite, my name’s Lola,” The woman said that was sitting exactly where Loki had been. 

“Lola, very pretty name, just like yourself I see,” Rhodey said, taking her hand in his and planting a small kiss on the top. 

Tony didn’t know what to do. What the hell was going on? Where was Loki? Then it hit him. The rush of air hadn’t been from outside, it was magic. The woman now sitting before him was Loki, he had just changed his appearance and wow what a great job he did. She had flowing black hair that reached to her waist. Bits of silver had been woven into strands that made her head shimmer as they caught the light. Her dress was a silver grey, like the same colour Loki’s waistcoat had been. It was fitted tightly towards the top but as it passed her perfect hips it became loose and ended modestly just below the knee. Gem incrusted high heels fitted her feet perfectly, adding only a slight bit of height to her already long and slender frame. 

Working hard to control his emotions over this beautiful sight, Tony looked Loki/Lola over again and noticed that he could see all the details that hinted to the fact it was really Loki, the hair, the bright green eyes. But to a stranger, like Rhodey, he would never be able to make those factors add up. 

“So anyway what are you doing here?” Tony asked, trying to draw his attention back on him. 

“I’m meeting some posh idiot for something, not exactly sure what but I know I get free food out of it.” 

“Right well you have fun with that,” he replied, a note of dismissal in his voice. 

Rhodey seemed to get the hint because he then leant forward and patted Tony on the shoulder saying, “I’ll see you around man, and I hope to see you again very soon.” The last bit aimed at Loki/Lola, who smiled in return. 

As Rhodey walked away he turned back quickly and pulled an appreciative face before doing a double thumbs up then disappeared out of sight. Tony breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at Loki. 

“I am so sorry about that.” 

“It’s quite alright. I suppose it gave me a reason to use my magic again.” 

“Are you going to stay like that now?” 

“Well no one noticed the change and it’s safer just in case your friend decides to return,” Loki said in a voice that resembled his own but had a more feminine vibe to it. 

Tony couldn’t help it. A second later he burst out laughing and couldn’t stop until tears had formed and were threatening to fall. 

“I’m sorry, am I missing something?” Loki asked, watching him curiously. 

“You...oh my god just this whole situation, I finally realised just how totally messed up it is. Now I understand why everyone’s telling me to stop.” 

Loki’s face fell and he looked like he had been hit in the face. “Does this mean we are stopping?” 

“Fuck no, I’m having way too much fun and I like you too much to stop.” 

Warmth spread through Loki at those words and he smiled widely. The smile was different from the one Tony was used to but that was probably because it was on a woman’s face but still he loved it, he loved Loki. And then that thought struck him and lodged in his brain until all his thoughts had come to a standstill. He loved Loki. He loved Loki. This was their first date and he already thought that. At first he tried to dissuade himself but then he realised there was no use. This was inevitable and he could do nothing to stop it. And really he didn’t want to. He loved Loki. But obviously he wasn’t going to tell him. 

“Are you still hungry?” Loki asked, and Tony registered the glint in his eyes that had not been there before. 

“No, not really. Do you wanna head off?” 

“Yes, I have far better plans for dessert.” 

Then he realised what the glint was. Lust. Longing. Well whatever Loki wanted, Loki would get. 

Before long they had tracked down Michael and asked for the bill. Loki had reluctantly let Tony pay even though he had no money to pay himself. Soon enough they were in the sweet outside air and ready for their driver to take them back to the tower. This time when the driver saw them he did look extremely puzzled seeing as when he had picked up Tony and his date, his date had been a man and now suddenly he was holding hands with a woman instead. Thinking it best not to question it, he got back into the front seat and drove them back. 

Both jumped out the car before the driver could even open his own door and were shouting thankyou’s back to him as they hurried towards the glass doors. The lift came swiftly and had soon transported them to their floor. Before the doors were properly open they were already on eachother but Loki had enough sense to pull away and drag Tony down the corridor. Loki’s room was the first they came to and bundled through the door. 

The next second the door was shut and Loki was pushed up against it, Tony’s weight holding him in place. Their lips connected in a fiery kiss with their tongues dancing round eachother, fighting for dominance. Loki’s hands were roaming up and down Tony’s torso and back, tugging off his suit jacket and throwing it away onto the floor. Then he began to work on his shirt buttons, fumbling with the urgency that his body demanded. 

Soon he was touching his skin, caressing his back and bringing him closer against him. His hands reached down and undid Tony’s trousers. This allowed his half hard cock some space although it was still confined in his boxers. Loki started to stroke him through the thin fabric until he was fully erect. 

Tony pushed his hands, holding them by his sides, “I need to see you,” He whispered. 

With his/her hands released Loki put them behind his back undoing the dresses zipper and pulling it gently off his shoulders. 

“No,” Tony said, stilling his hands. “I want to see _you_.” 

Closing his eyes, Loki muttered something and then he was back. He was Loki again. Tony smiled appreciatively then pushed him back against the wall and ravaged him. God he made Loki feel so beautiful. At some point during their touching and kissing, Tony managed to strip Loki and remove the rest of his own clothes, discarding them onto the floor. Loki took the opportunity to pull their bodies against eachother so they were touching skin on skin. The feeling was magnificent. 

Slipping down between them, the god went down to his knees so his face was on level with Tony’s eager cock. He swiped his tongue over the end, taking with it the first drop of pre-cum. This made the genius moan and bury his hands into Loki’s wonderfully soft hair. 

Loki never broke eye contact the whole time he was pleasuring Tony with his mouth. When he took it all in his mouth and bobbed his head his eyes did close just as Tony’s rolled back and he moaned again with every pump. When Tony felt dangerously close, he gently pulled Loki away and helped him up so he could claim his lips in a deep kiss. They remained locked together for some time then slowly they moved onto the bed. 

Tony straddled Loki’s lap as the god lay down on the soft covers. The genius ran his fingers up and down Loki’s sides causing goose bumps to form and the god to groan. His fingers felt so good. Moving higher, Tony leant forward and kissed his way up Loki’s neck and jaw until he recaptured his lips. As they kiss he started to move his hips. The much needed friction between both their cocks made them both moan in pleasure. 

Everything was slow but everything meant something. Everything, every touch, every kiss had a meaning, they just didn’t know it yet. Even though it was moving slow, neither protested. There was still urgency but they now knew they didn’t have to hide. They didn’t have to worry if someone would walk in on them and freak out. Everyone knew. There was nothing to fear. They finally had time, they had time to enjoy the moment and appreciate eachother fully. 

“Anthony please, I ne...I need you,” Loki gasped out. 

“Do you have any-“ 

“You don’t need anything, magic has its perks,” The god smirked, looking up into Tony’s beautiful dark brown eyes. 

Tony adjusted their positions slightly, positioning himself at Loki’s entrance. With one final nod from him as consent, Tony pushed inside and was surprised that the tight hole was slicked enough to allow him to slide in easily. 

As soon as he was fully sheathed, he pulled back out slowly before thrusting back in. He continued at this slow pace for some time loving the feeling of Loki around him and the appreciative gasps that kept escaping the god’s lips. Tony kissed Loki’s jaw again before moving up his cheek and over to his ear where his faster breaths tickled Loki’s skin. In return Loki wrapped his legs around Tony and locked his ankles together bringing them impossibly close. Loki tangled his fingers into Tony’s hair while the genius continued to whisper sweet nothings into his ear as they rocked their hips together. 

It was passionate. It was intimate. It was love. And yet neither of them knew. Though they could no longer deny their feelings for the other to themselves it was clear they did not plan on telling the other. 

To Tony’s surprise, Loki detached himself from him and rolled over so Tony’s cock slipped out of him. He didn’t go far though, he only rolled onto his hands and knees so it was Loki’s back and butt facing him now. Nothing was said but Tony knew what he wanted and so he repositioned himself behind Loki and slid in again, this time from the new angle. 

He began to thrust in and out again, noting that from this angle Loki felt a lot tighter around him. Damn Loki felt so good, and the noises he made almost sent Tony over the edge. When Tony hit Loki’s prostate, the god cried out in pleasure and Tony made it his job to keep making that happen. 

Instead of holding Loki’s hips, he moved his hands down and under Loki. He splayed his fingers over his chest and urged him up with small nudges until his back was firmly pressed to Tony’s chest. With them both kneeling up, they rocked against eachother both sensing that it was becoming more desperate. 

Tony left one hand on Loki’s chest but dropped the other to his cock that he started to pump in time to his thrusting. The added pressure only heightened Loki’s pleasure causing him to cry out again and again. Just to tease him a bit more, the genius began to kiss along his toned shoulders and then moved higher until he was sucking and kissing the god’s neck. 

“A-Anthony please, I need-,” Loki’s moaned. 

Tony’s lips glided up his neck to his ear and whispered, “Cum for me Loki.” And he did. 

He came all over Tony’s hand and the bed sheet, the whole time moaning out Tony’s name. It only took a few more thrusts and he came inside Loki with a loud cry of his own. He carried on thrusting, riding out his orgasm before he collapsed down onto Loki’s back. 

For a while they just lay there regaining their breath until Loki turned over and Tony fell to his side, grumbling by the sudden movement. 

“Stop complaining,” Loki said exasperatedly, but Tony knew he was feigning judging by the fond smile that had worked its way onto his face. 

“What are you gunna do about it?” Tony teased, rolling back over so he was flush against the god’s side. 

“Hmm I don’t know,” He replied, moving onto his side so he could stare Tony straight in the eye. “But I’m sure I’ll think of something.” 

Then he kissed him lightly on the lips before settling his face into the crook of Tony’s neck and breathing in deeply. His eyes fluttered closed as exhaustion claimed him. 

Tony stayed awake a little while longer just watching Loki sleep. He noticed how his eyelids fluttered occasionally and how strands of his hair fell gracefully over his face, hiding him partly from view. It was like a shield of protection and Tony wanted to break that shield because he wanted to be his new shield. 

Reaching forward he brushed the hair out of the god’s face and tucked it neatly behind his ear. He then leant closer and pressed his lips to Loki’s forehead before shutting his own eyes. Just before sleep claimed him, he wrapped his arms around Loki and brought him closer. The god nuzzled his neck and mumbled something incoherent. How good it felt to be wanted.


	17. Chapter 16

# Chapter 16

It had been almost a month since their first date and everything had remained perfect. Well as perfect as you can get when you live in the Avengers tower with the team and have Tony Stark as your boyfriend. Still Loki wasn’t complaining. He was far too happy to complain. The weather was also lovely too. Summer was actually starting to show its true colours with increasingly warm days and no clouds to be seen in the sky. He and Tony had spent increasing amounts of time just walking and talking outside, finding any possible place in the sun that was also away from prying eyes of the public. 

He loved to watch the light brighten his face especially when he smiled. His smile became Loki’s new sun, it was the thing his world now revolved around, making that smile rise and never letting it set. It wasn’t a hard task to complete because Tony already seemed to be so ready to smile when around Loki. Maybe Loki was his sun too. 

On this day, late morning was creeping towards early afternoon and Loki had just laid down his book after reading the last page. Feeling slightly hungry and hearing noises emanating from the kitchen, he headed that way and came across Tony with bowls strewn everywhere across the work surfaces. 

“What are you doing?” Loki asked, walking over to him and peering over his shoulder. 

“I am baking, what are you doing?” 

“Watching you, why are you baking?” He reached over and swiped his finger through the bowl of some kind of soft mixture before popping it into his mouth and sucking. 

“Taste good?” Tony asked, watching Loki with an appraising look. 

“Mmm yes, what is it?” He hummed, turning so his back was to the kitchen island before hoisting himself up so he was sitting on its surface, dangling his legs off the side. 

“Cookie dough, I’m making cookies because Bruce is bringing Betty round later and I thought it would be nice and I was totally bored after Pepper dropped off loads of paperwork that I apparently have to sort through and sign.” 

Loki raised an eyebrow at the mention of Pepper but chose not to comment after Tony sent him a warning look. They had silently agreed not to bring up hers and Tony’s conversation from before he went to Asgard. Sooner or later they knew the topic would be breached again but for now they were both happy to remain silent about the whole thing. 

Opening a draw to his side, Tony pulled out a spoon and began to scoop the mixture out of the bowl, then, using another spoon, he scraped off the mixture and arranged it in neat rows on the baking trays. Once they small mounds of dough were arranged to a standard he liked, he picked up each tray and popped them into the oven that was already heated up. After setting the timer he moved away and relaxed against the island next to Loki, who was still sitting on its clean surface. 

Tony sighed, resting his head against Loki’s arm. Loki brought up his other arm and brushed Tony’s hair with his hand, working on a knot or two until he could easily run his fingers through the soft waves. Tony hummed from the pleasant feeling that washed over him, allowing it to consume him and take him to another world where this feeling never went away. 

Before he knew it the oven timer was beeping announcing that the cookies were ready. Reluctantly he moved away from Loki and over to the oven where he removed the baking trays, checking first that the cookies were perfectly cooked. They were. Then he set the trays down and began to set their contents on the cooling wire that was ready to the side. While he was passing some over, Loki reached over and nabbed one, Tony only noticing after he had taken a bite. 

“Nice?” The genius asked, slightly exasperated. 

“Perfect,” Loki replied, smiling at Tony’s disgruntled look. With the other half of his cookie, he offered it to him who sent him a look. Loki just raised an eyebrow at him in return, almost like a challenge, and moved it even closer. No longer being able to refuse, Tony opened his mouth and accepted the cookie, chewing and swallowing then leaning over and shoving Loki. 

“Don’t touch the cookies!” He warned. 

“Oh and what are you going to do about it?” Loki challenged. 

He didn’t even bother to respond, instead just pulled him off the kitchen island so he was on a level that Tony could capture his lips in a kiss. Loki responded immediately, wrapping his arms around Tony’s waist and bringing him closer, the thing he always did, while Tony placed one hand on the curve of his neck and letting the other bury into his jet black hair. 

Loki believed that he would never get tired of this, of having someone close, of having someone there that cared and wanted the same things. Though they hadn’t talked about what they wanted or about their future he still knew that they wanted the same. He trusted Tony when he said that he liked him and he wasn’t ready to throw that away on something stupid like questioning their future. Trust had always been his big problem and yet he let Tony in, he let himself get invested, he let himself get lost in him, he let himself trust without a second thought. That was something coming from Loki, that was something very special and important. From being so broken, he had come so far, he had learnt to trust again, he had learnt to respect again and he had learnt to love again. Yes, he loved Tony but just like the genius, he wasn’t ready to admit it. He also knew that this was an issue, maybe not yet but soon it would become one. It would become their undoing, it would become their curse and yet he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. It felt too good. 

“Ah love is in the air, everywhere I look around. Love is in the air, every sight and every sound,” Clint sang, appearing out of nowhere. 

Tony reluctantly pulled away from Loki and eyed Clint dangerously. “Shut up Legolas,” He called over but it was already too late. The archer was off and couldn’t stop. 

“And I don’t know if I’m being foolish, don’t know if I’m being wise.” He swayed over to them occasionally doing a little twirl. “But it’s something that I must believe in, and it’s there when I look in your eyes.” He batted his eyelashes at them once he finished that line and just managed to dodge to the side as Tony threw a hit at him. He danced off away from them, just managing to nab a cookie off the cooling rack before heading off to one of the sofa’s, still singing. “Love is in the air, in the whisper of the trees. Love is in the air, in the thunder of the sea.” 

As if on cue, the doors to the lift opened and Steve stepped out accompanied by Bruce and of course Betty. Her and Bruce wore huge smiles and walked over hand in hand to greet Tony, Clint and Loki. Though probably feeling nervous of meeting the god, Betty didn’t show it and just sent him a warming smile just like the rest of them. Loki himself seemed taken away by this gesture and so returned it a second later as best he could. 

They all greeted eachother politely and moved over towards the living room, each taking a seat and arranging themselves into comfortable positions. At first Loki hung back, not knowing if he was welcome and not having the confidence to just walk over and take a seat, but then Tony took his hand and pulled him over so they sat together on one of the smaller sofas. Tony left his arm resting around Loki’s waist, though the god did try to pull away. The genius just pulled him in closer and relaxed against him, answering Loki’s unasked question with no he did not care what anyone else thought. 

“So how is the wedding planning going,” Tony asked, directing the question towards the still smiling Betty. 

“It’s almost all sorted, just the last few details now which is sort of the reason why we’re here,” She answered, glancing up at Bruce who sat next to her. He met her gaze and nodded and smiled. 

“Tony, I have a question for you,” Bruce began. 

“Oh god what? You’re not going to ditch Betty and propose to me are you?” 

Chuckling, the doctor answered, “No that is definitely not what I was going to ask. What I was going to actually ask is...will you be my best man?” 

A shocked expression crossed Tony’s face that caused Betty’s smile to grow wider. Bruce just waited for a reply while Clint just rolled his eyes at the genius because he just sat there like an idiot. 

“What, really? Are you sure?” Bruce nodded. “Well yes then, of course, it would be an honour.” 

He stood up and moved over to give Bruce a hug that the other accepted. They separated quickly, both moving back to their seats and Tony sitting even closer to Loki than before as though making sure he wouldn’t escape. 

“I’m still invited right?” Clint asked, faking a serious tone. 

“No you can’t come,” Bruce joked back, sending the archer a look. 

“Oh you’re all coming!” Betty cried happily, seemingly unable to contain her excitement much longer. 

Loki shifted awkwardly against Tony, wanting some space, not from him personally, but the whole room. He felt far too out of place in the group who were all celebrating a joyful event that he obviously wasn’t involved in or wasn’t wanted or needed for. It was just very uncomfortable to sit in a room where he believed not to be welcomed. He always found it hard seeing other people, outside of the Avengers team after the events of New York. Though it was his fault, he still hated all the stares and shouts of abuse, the unwelcome eyes, the mutterings and whisperings. He hated being in focus even though he had strived for that his whole childhood. It’s funny how times change. 

The conversation had carried on long after Loki had zoned out meaning when he came back to himself, it took a moment to work out the conversation. 

“The fitting for your suit is in a couple of hours if that’s okay? I’m sorry it’s a bit rushed but asking you was one of the last things on the wedding to-do list.” 

“It’s fine honestly, I only had plans of procrastinating with Loki here,” Tony smirked. “I’m sure he won’t miss me for an hour or two.” 

“Actually that brings us to one of our next points,” Betty said, turning to look Loki straight in the eye. “There might be no need for you to leave him when he might need his own suit because we were going to ask, Loki would you like to come to our wedding?” 

Stunned. There was no other word for it. Loki was utterly and totally shocked that he couldn’t even form words to answer. Where had that come from? They had invited him to their wedding. One of the most important days of their lives and they were willing to share it with him. 

“I know you probably think this is so out of the blue but I think it’s sad if everyone is there and you’re stuck here and now you and Tony are a thing we thought it would be nice. I know we have never spoken or anything but I believe in second chances and this is me giving you one,” She finished, her voice getting softer as she grew more serious. 

Loki had no idea what to say. No one had ever said something like that to him before and he didn’t know how to react. What was he supposed to say to something so kind and meaningful? He didn’t believe words would be enough. 

“Em...thankyou I would love to come,” Loki said, regaining himself enough to smile. 

“Great, well we should probably head off to get the suit fitted for you and Tony, I’m not sure if you have a suit so you can come if you don’t,” Betty beamed, getting to her feet. 

“I can sort out a suit for myself but thankyou for the offer.” 

“No, no it’s fine.” She turned to the others. “Come on, we have to move. We haven’t got time for this stalling, get up, get up, to the door now,” She cried, ushering Tony and Bruce towards the lift. 

Tony managed to dodge out of the way of her flailing arms, almost tripping over in the process but regaining his balance at the last moment. Betty didn’t seem to notice and just carried on shunting Bruce towards the lift, only turning back when the lift arrived and Tony wasn’t with them. 

“Come on, come on, there’s no time for this!” 

“Yeah coming,” Tony called over. 

Just before he hurried over to join them, he bent down and kissed Loki for a few seconds on the lips. As he pulled away he whispered, “See you later.” Then he walked over to the others and they disappeared as the doors slid shut. 

“You know, you two are so gross,” Clint commented, helping himself to the cookies that had been forgotten about. 

Loki just rolled his eyes, still too happy and stunned by Betty’s words and Tony’s open affection to think up a good response. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It was almost four hours before Tony returned to the tower with Bruce, Betty having gone off to see her friend about her dress. They burst through the lift doors panting, hauling two long packages with protruding coat hangers that obviously contained the suits. After looking round for a good place to hang them and deciding on the convenient hooks on the walls, that were there in case anyone wanted to hang up their coats, they collapsed onto the sofas and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“I’m tired. I think I might just head off and get an early night,” Bruce sighed, climbing slowly back to his feet. 

“Yeah okay,” Tony mumbled, pulling himself to his feet so he could walk to the kitchen and prepare himself a cup of coffee. 

It was when the mug was steaming in his hand that Loki ambled into the room. 

“You’re back then,” He said, starting to make himself a cup of tea. 

“Yes, why? Did you miss me?” 

“I won’t deny the peace and quiet was nice.” 

“Hey I’m not that loud. Do you know where all the cookies went?” 

As the kettle boiled Loki answered, “Ask Clint.” 

The genius huffed in annoyance. Why did Clint have to eat his food? He had his own kitchen. He could have made his own. Chuckling at Tony’s frustration, Loki moved closer to him and pulled him close so his lower arms were resting on the genius’s shoulders and his fingers were toying with his hair. 

“Why don’t you just make more, dear?” 

“That means a lot of effort and I might just be too tired for it.” 

Neither of them seemed to notice what Loki had said, how he had slipped in a pet name so simply and without care. It felt so normal to say it. It felt right. It rolled off the tongue so easily. If they had both picked up on this change, this advancement in their relationship, they didn’t comment. They were both so comfortable that it didn’t make a difference. Everything felt right. 

“But you can teach me,” Loki urged, wrapping strands of Tony’s hair around his fingers before unravelling them gently. 

The thought of being Loki’s teacher, of showing him something new and something totally Midgardian appealed to Tony far more than he thought it would. A second later he had broken away from the god’s grip and began to collect together the necessary ingredients for the recipe that he knew off by heart. 

He directed Loki through the steps, telling him when to add each ingredient and when to mix the mixture. Soon enough the dough was prepared to a standard that matched Tony’s. They both shared the job of separating the mixture into the near enough equal quantities on the baking trays. Well Tony did a better job of distracting Loki by messing up his neatly arranged blobs of dough, just for the joy of watching the frustrated expression cross over his face and for him to let out a sigh before moving back to sort them. After Tony did it twice more Loki lost his patience and picked up one of the balls of dough, from the tray he was working on, and threw it straight at the genius who wasn’t quick enough to avoid it. It hit him in the chest and splattered out before crumbling to the floor, though some was left on his t-shirt. 

“Hey that’s not fair!” Tony grumbled, wiping as much of the mixture off himself as he could. 

“Don’t mess up my cookies then,” Loki replied, carrying on sorting the other balls of dough back into their neat rows. 

Tony rolled his eyes but then an idea struck him. He reached into the bowl, which still had some of the cookie dough in it, and picked up a handful. Before Loki knew what was happening, Tony pressed his hand into his face, smearing the mixture all over his pale skin. The god gasped in surprise and wiped off some of the largest lumps that he threw straight back at Tony. This time the genius was prepared and managed to jump out of the way so the mixture splattered across the work surface instead. 

Both of them looked up at eachother with straight faces before collapsing with laughter. They laughed until there was no breath left to form another word. Once recovered they surveyed the mess they had made, the crumbs all of the floor, Loki’s face, Tony’s shirt and the worktop. Neither felt much like cleaning up yet so they finished off arranging the cookies then put the trays into the oven. 

By the time the alarm went off, the kitchen was clean enough that no one would guess that there had been mixture everywhere. Loki had cleaned his face and Tony had just given up on his shirt, knowing the stain would come off easily in the wash. They removed the cookies from the oven and set them on the side so they could cool briefly then, just like the first lot, they transferred them onto the cooling rack. 

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Tony began, lifting up two cookies off their tray and placing them down on the rack. “We really need a second date.” 

Loki looked over at him. “I thought this was our second date.” 

Their eyes met and Tony smiled and nodded. “Yeah I thought so too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou so much for all the subscriptions and kudos and comments, they all mean a lot ot me!!


	18. Chapter 17

# Chapter 17

And so finally the time had arrived. The very next day Bruce would be married and everyone would be happy. Hopefully. But before that came Tony’s favourite part, the part where he could get pissed and shout stupid advice that no one will ever remember. If only. 

“So really, you’re not nervous at all?” Tony urged, putting down the piece of metal he was fiddling with. 

“Should I be?” Bruce asked absently. 

The genius rolled his eyes. Did this guy really feel nothing? Could he not give Tony something? He wouldn’t even mind at this stage if Bruce came crying to him with joy that he would be married tomorrow. He wouldn’t mind if he screamed at him for not knowing if he wanted to go through with it. But no. The guy was giving him nothing and it was seriously boring him. 

“Obviously not.” He remained silent for a while then he began to speak again, picking back up the metal. “Like, but what are you going to do? Marriage is supposed to be for life, how do you know that she is the _one_?” 

“It’s not about finding the one Tony. It’s about being comfortable and believing in your choices. Look when it comes to you being married, then you’ll understand what I mean. You never know, it might be sooner than you think.” 

There was a clang as he dropped the metal on his work surface. Luckily it wasn’t heavy enough to leave a dent. He stared at Bruce, opening and closing his mouth but no sound came out. Bruce smiled, at what he had said, or at Tony, the genius didn’t know. 

“I’m sorry what?” 

“I was just thinking that one day you might get married. You are in a relationship now and, you know, when you’re with someone for a long time you might decide to move the relationship on a bit.” 

“A bit,” Tony squeaked. “That’s fucking marriage! Me and Loki have only been dating for three months.” 

“Who said I was talking about Loki?” Bruce asked, laughing as his friend struggled to comprehend what he was saying. 

“That doesn’t even make...no...what? I’m with Loki, there isn’t anyone else. What? Who?” 

“I was just messing. All I wanted was to see that ‘what the hell’ look to cross your face and for you to stop questioning me about tomorrow.” 

“Urgh fine, whatever. I was only curious,” Tony answered. 

They lapsed into silence as Tony sent Bruce bored glances while the other tapped at his phone screen. Not wanting to share out loud just how bored he was, Tony decided to throw in what he thought were subtle little hints. Every few minutes he would let out a little sigh. As the minutes crept by they grew increasingly more frequent and louder until- 

“You’re like a child, if you’re bored find something to do,” Bruce huffed, rolling his eyes at Tony. 

“Fine, I have something we can do but involves you talking.” 

“Alright, alright let’s talk.” 

A smile blossomed on Tony’s face as he repositioned himself so he was sitting on the desk directly in front of Bruce. He stared expectantly into his face. 

“What are we going to talk about then?” He prompted. 

“This was your idea,” Bruce retorted, breaking eye contact and instead staring down at his phone. 

Tony opened his mouth to speak but the doctor interrupted. “Nothing about the wedding or about my life or about how terrible married life is supposed to be or I’ll be forced to unleash the other guy.” 

“Okay okay I get the picture. Um, so...” He thought for a moment but nothing overly exciting came to him. 

“I have a question,” Bruce started. Relieved that he no longer had to think up conversation, Tony gestured with his hand for him to continue. “Do you ever imagine yourself marrying Loki?” 

“Really? That’s your question?” 

Bruce nodded and smirked. “You questioned me about my relationship, it’s only polite to return the favour.” He was only doing this to annoy Tony and to teach him to stop questioning everything, but it was also worth it just to see his constricting emotions and the unsure expressions that crossed his face. It was very rare for Tony Stark to be left speechless. 

“Er I haven’t really thought about it....Like I said, we’ve been dating three months not three years.” 

“Lovely,” Bruce said, getting to his feet and heading for the door. Tony frowned at him. “I just wanted to make you feel uncomfortable, I succeeded. Now come on, I’m hungry.” 

Sighing and mentally slapping himself, Tony followed him out of his workshop realising that he was feeling hungry aswell. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It was the evening, finally. It was also supposed to be Bruce’s stag party. Only the problem was that he had set out such specific guidelines that they had ended up scrapping any ideas that were remotely fun and decided instead to spend the time at the tower, drinking and watching crap TV. Tony had still put effort in, ordering the most expensive alcohol that he could find (or more what JARVIS could find) and mixing it up to make odd concoctions that they would all be forced to drink. 

The strict guidelines were the part that Tony despised the most. He didn’t mind a few rules and, after all, rules were made to be broken and he was always up for a challenge. But no, not this time. It had been totally specified that if he broke any of the rules then the other guy would be unleashed with full force and no hesitations. At first he had laughed it off but then Bruce sent him a look and he vowed to never break any of his rules ever. 

So these guidelines, that were actually straight out rules, included absolutely no strippers. No exotic dancers in any way, shape or form. That was the first. This threw Tony off completely that he didn’t really even bother to listen to the rest knowing that none of his ideas would ever be passed by Bruce. That was how they all came to be sitting in his living room, drinking and talking with as much gusto as they could manage for the situation. 

“So Bruce, who would you say wears the trousers in the relationship?” Clint asked, taking a swig of his beer. 

Instead of replying he sent the archer a look that said, really? Are you being serious? 

“I do not understand the meaning of this term,” Thor commented. 

Loki rolled his eyes at him. It was strange how he could be so blind to the world that he was supposed to protect. How could he not pick up these sorts of things? If you asked him to explain how DVD’s worked, he probably would only be able to do it with the aid of the other members of the team drawing diagrams that had very specific labels. 

“It means who has the control in the relationship, who makes the decisions, who is the more dominant,” The black haired god said. “For example it is obvious that the black widow wears the trousers in Clint’s relationship.” 

“Hey,” Clint grumbled. “I take control, you might not see it all the time but it’s true. It’s not like I’m going to give details about what goes on behind closed doors.” 

“Nothing, I’m assuming,” Loki murmured so only Tony could hear. 

The genius was leaning on him, with his legs pulled up next to him. Hearing what Loki said, he chuckled and Clint sent him an unamused look, knowing the comment was something about him. 

“Fine, who tops in your relationship?” The archer smirked, gulping down more of his beer until he had drained the can. He crushed it in his hand and threw it down on the table before catching the fresh can that Bruce tossed him. 

Loki turned to face Tony with a raised eyebrow. Tony felt this was a challenge, a test, and if he failed he would pay for it later. 

“I like to think we are equal in that respect Legolas. It’s all about give and take.” 

He glanced over at Loki and saw there was an amused expression on his face. Obviously he had answered correctly. 

Steve coughed quietly feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. The conversation had been going so well, everything had been nice. They had had a few drinks and chatted about whatever and yet still they managed to creep back to sex. Back in his time it hadn’t been such an open topic. He found the modern day world far too weird. Not just the fact that there were aliens and Norse gods but about how people communicated and their views. It had been just over one and a half years since he had woken up and yet he was still confused. 

Reaching forward he grabbed another beer for himself. He cracked open the seal and took a sip before settling back in his chair. 

“But like, who’s the more masculine in the relationship?” Clint asked, watching with joy at the expressions on both Loki and Tony’s faces. 

“That’s a tough one,” Bruce commented. 

“Guys really? Is this what we’re gunna talk about, who’s more masculine?” Tony said. Then he put on a scared expression and faked a worried tone. “You think it’s me right?” 

“Excuse me darling, are you saying that I’m not masculine?” Loki demanded. 

“Not at all, I’m just saying that I am more so than you. Maybe I’m more secure in it than you.” 

“More secure. Have you ever dressed up as a woman?” 

Both Bruce and Steve, who had been sipping their drinks, choked and sprayed the liquid everywhere. They stared at Loki in shock, not sure what to expect next. Their gazes then flashed to Tony who was sitting with his mouth open, watching a smug look take over Loki’s features. 

“Loki, I thought we would never mention this story again,” Thor said quietly, almost in hope that no one would hear. They did. 

All of their eyes shot to the blond god then flicked between him and Loki, all with curious expectant expressions on their faces. Having no opposition against sharing the story, Loki began to explain how he and Thor had dressed up as a bride and a handmaid in order to get Mjolnir. The whole time the story was explained Thor’s expression turned to total devastation as his friends guffawed. Once Loki had finished they had to wait for Bruce, Clint and Steve to calm down. When the three were able to calm down, their faces were bright red and their breath came out as gasps. 

“I hoped we would be able to go for longer without bringing up that tale,” Thor muttered into his hands that he was using to hide his face. 

“At least you did it, I would like to see the others here dress as a woman,” Loki smiled, turning to the others. 

Clint sent him a defiant look. “I could.” 

Raising an eyebrow, the god of mischief said, “Really? Well prove it then.” 

Just as the archer opened his mouth to protest by saying that he didn’t have a dress, a dress appeared in his lap. He stared down at it, running his hands over the almost luminescent pink ruffles that seemed to smother the bottom half of the dress. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” 

“Hey you said you’d do it,” Tony laughed. 

Clint sent him a scathing look then stood up and threw the dress over to him. Tony visibly cringed away from the apparent abomination almost collapsing onto Loki as he attempted to escape. 

“I don’t see why you’re laughing, you’re doing it too,” Loki said to Tony. 

He waved his hand and a second later another three dresses appeared. The first rested on the arm of the sofa that Tony occupied with Loki. It was a sky blue with red polka dots. The material was different from Clint’s, looking more clingy but softer rather than the archers, whose rustled every time it was touched. One landed on Bruce’s knees and the other materialized neatly laid out across the seat next to Steve who eyed it with panic. 

“You have got to be joking,” They all echoed together. 

Loki surveyed them for a second before turning to Thor and smirking. The blonde god smiled back then sent the others all a look that basically said _you’re doomed._

It was with careful persuasion, delicate wording ad a whole load of alcohol later that all four men were stripping off and pulling on the dresses that had been conjured for them. They struggled into the strange items, reaching behind themselves for zips or else trying to navigate the buttons that were placed inconveniently on the backs of the dresses. As they continued into the items of clothes that would subsequently ruin any form of self respect they ever held for themselves, Loki and Thor rolled around on the sofa’s laughing. 

Bruce grimaced in his canary yellow dress that fell to the floor. He nearly went flying as he tripped over the end and in the end had to settle for holding up the lower section of the dress with his hands. Steve wasn’t feeling much better about his pastel green dress that clung to him like a second skin. In a way he was thankful that it did seeing as his dress was strapless and he really didn’t like the thought of having to hold it in place. It was Tony, though, who appeared to be struggling with his most. His dress only just managed to brush his lower thighs. He would have preferred the more modest length of Clint’s that reached halfway down his shins but as a whole he hated Clint’s the most. With its ruffles and huge puffy sleeves, it was the image of hell. 

“See it’s not so bad,” Loki gasped out, receiving death glares from all of them. 

“Not so bad?” Tony asked incredulously. “I bet you didn’t wear an outfit designed by Barbie when it was you.” 

The god opened his mouth to reply but froze when they heard the ding that announced that the lift had arrived. Everyone’s eyes flew over to the opposite side of the room where the doors slid open. To their horror it was Fury and Natasha who stepped out. Without a seconds hesitation, they all dived behind one of the sofa’s in hope that they wouldn’t be spotted. Unfortunately Bruce forgot to hold up his dress. He caught his foot on the hem and went cascading to the floor in a heap of material. 

Fury surveyed the scene before him showing little emotion on his face. On the other hand, Natasha’s eyes fell on Bruce then flicked to the others who were still trying to hide and finally settling on Thor and Loki who couldn’t contain their laughter. She seemed unable to hold in her own because a second later it bubbled over and came out in waves as she guffawed. 

“I promise this isn’t what it looks like,” Bruce scrambled to say. 

“Yeah,” Natasha snorted, pacing around the sofa so she could get a good look at the others. “Wow Clint, I didn’t know you had a thing for ruffles.” 

Clint sent her a scathing look. “Shut up.” 

“Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?” Fury asked, finally regaining his voice. 

Tony, Steve and Clint climbed to their feet and moved into an open space of floor so there was no danger of falling. 

“We...we were...proving our masculinity,” Tony muttered, not looking him in the eye. Loki could have sworn he saw a faint tinge of pink in his cheeks. 

“Whatever you say,” Fury replied, eyeing him with amusement. “I just came to ask Stark about the security systems for the tower they’ve been acting up and I wondered if you’d been messing with them.” 

“No I haven’t touched them,” Tony frowned. “I’ll have a look into it.” He tried to step forward but was held in place by his dress. “Or maybe later.” 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The morning of the wedding came quicker than expected and yet no one was in a panic. The tower was unusually quiet. 

“Shouldn’t we at least get up,” Loki asked, rolling over so he could look at Tony. 

“Mmm probably but I don’t want to,” He said, drawing the god closer into an embrace. He loved the feeling of his bare skin pressing against the god’s. 

Loki sighed at the contact, relaxing against his body and resting his head on his shoulder. After the dress situation had been sorted and they had all changed back into normal clothes everyone had gone oddly quiet and quickly excused themselves, saying they needed an early night. Tony had followed Loki into his room and promptly punished him for making him do that and also making him swear to never do it again. Loki had agreed instantly, far more interested in what the genius was planning on doing to him because of it. 

“We really must move, this is an important day for your friend and you should be there supporting him.” 

“Why do you always have to be right,” Tony muttered grumpily, climbing out from under the bedcovers and looking around for his underwear. 

Smirking, Loki leant to the opposite side of the bed and grabbed the garment off the floor and held them out to Tony who took them with a smile before planting a kiss on the god’s lips. 

“I’ll see you later,” He said, pulling on the rest of his clothes. “And you better wear something nice.” 

“I always wear something nice.” 

It was Tony’s turn to smirk as he replied, “Yes you do and you look sexy in everything but I much prefer you now.” His eyes moved from Loki’s own and skimmed down his body that had been revealed after he had pushed back the quilt. 

“Just go,” Loki said, rolling his eyes. 

Tony blew him a kiss, winked then left the room without another word.


	19. Chapter 18

# Chapter 18

It was only a few more stressful hours before they were piled into cars and on their way to the small church that Bruce and Betty were to get married in. As the best man, and taking his role extremely seriously, Tony rode in a car with Bruce alone while everyone else climbed into the other cars and followed behind. 

They arrived at the church a little later than first intended because of an increased amount of traffic on the roads, but once they did arrive, everyone settled down quickly, forgetting about how agitated they had previously been. Loki sat himself next to Clint at the end of one of the rows. He much preferred to be out of sight even though it meant a great deal to him that he was there. There was only a small walkway next to him and then it was the cold stone wall. Not many people elected to walk down that path, preferring instead to take the main aisle that Betty would be walking down herself, very soon. 

The others all took seats in the same row as Clint and Loki, Natasha settling herself next to the archer and Steve next to her. Fury occupied the next seat and then it was Thor. First the director had been sitting at the end but they all agreed that that was far too daunting when people walked down and they definitely didn’t want to make Betty more nervous than she probably already was. After much persuasion he had swapped with the blond god and they were now all comfortable and settled, waiting for the ceremony to begin. 

“So, you nervous?” 

“What do you think?” Bruce muttered, throwing Tony a disgusted look that didn’t quite have the right effect because of the crack in his voice. 

“Look,” Tony began, taking pity on him and wanting to make him feel better. “What do you really have to worry about? Yes she might not turn up, yes she might say no, yes this might not last forever-“ 

“Really not helping!” 

“Let me finish. What I’m trying to say is that there are so many possible scenarios and probably the most playing out in your head right now are bad but there are also so many good ones. Like the ones where everything goes right and you get married here today just like you planned. You declare your love for eachother and then you leave for a well earned holiday that comes with the guarantee of you having the best sex of your life.” Bruce chuckled at that. “Yes it could all go shit and this could be the worst day of your life, but it could also be the best and turn into everything you’ve ever wished for.” 

“You better be right,” He said, smiling. 

Tony grinned back. 

Loki watched them talk from his seat. He saw Tony lean forward slightly and sensed him lowering his voice as though discussing something serious. It probably was. Still he continued to map his movements, noting how his dark grey suit barely creased as he moved and how his hair looked as soft as silk and how, when he tilted his head, the strands followed his movements in an almost graceful flick. He had to admit he liked the look of Tony standing up there, where he could admire him and where others could to. Although he relished in the feeling that only he could really have eyes for Tony and Tony had eyes only for him. 

Soon the wedding began. The music started playing quietly in the background and everyone got to their feet with their eyes shifting to the doors where two young girls appeared, scattering rose petals along the aisle that Betty walked on behind them. Though standing up, Loki’s eyes didn’t move from the front where Tony was taking a step back from Bruce to where his own seat was waiting. The smile on his face looked so joyous and happy and the joy wasn’t even meant for him. Loki wondered what it would be like if the happiness was for him, that this wedding was his own. He imagined the smile on his face as he stood before him, ready to take his vows. Blinking, Loki shook his head and quickly took his seat like everyone else was doing, praying that he would be able to bury that wonderful thought along with his love for Tony that he just couldn’t bring himself to share. 

The ceremony didn’t last as long as he had expected, being only used to Asgardian weddings meant preparing yourself for at least a whole day of torture (obviously only when it’s not your own wedding, when it is you’re obviously very happy). Still once they were pronounced man and wife they kissed and everyone got to their feet once more and applauded. Betty and Bruce turned and smiled at the small crowd before making their way back up the aisle, arm in arm. They all carried on clapping until the couple had left and then people started to file out behind. Tony walked up as Loki exited his row and they met half way up the walkway. 

“Have fun?” Tony asked as they continued to follow the crowd. 

“It was more enjoyable than I expected. Weddings are very long and drawn out in Asgard so this made a nice change from the others I have attended,” Loki replied. 

They emerged from the slightly dimmer church into the bright sun. Everyone followed the couple to a car that was waiting on the long driveway. Circling around the vehicle, they all clapped again and cheered as Bruce kissed Betty again as they got into the car. It drove away a minute later, leaving everyone to sort themselves out before they would all meet up again later for the reception. 

“What are you two doing now? Are you going back to the tower, or what?” Clint questioned, making his way over to them. 

“No, it’s too much effort to go all the way back just to leave again. The reception is being held close to here so I thought we could just hang around for a while,” Tony answered, directing the last bit at Loki who nodded in agreement. 

“Alright then, mind some tag alongs?” 

“Yes I do mind but I suppose I have no choice.” 

Clint shook his head and smirked, following closely behind as Tony walked away. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The reception was quick in starting and was soon in full swing. When Bruce and Betty entered together, everyone cheered while the pair beamed at them all. Guests kept arriving over the next hour or so, some that had not been invited to the ceremony. Unfortunately one of them was a person that Loki least wanted to see. Pepper wandered in through the double doors accompanied by Happy, who Loki had finally been introduced to a couple of weeks back. They both made their way over to Bruce and Betty and gave over a gift bag and a smaller package that matched the bag. After they shared a few words, Happy walked over to the drinks table and expertly mixed himself up a drink. Pepper was left alone. She gazed around, looking for someone to talk to, when he eyes fell on Loki who looked straight back from his own seat. 

Staring directly into his eyes, Pepper began to strut around the room in the direction of Tony, who was talking to Steve not too far away. Tony seemed to notice her just before she reached him and hurriedly ended his conversation and walked over to Loki. He took the seat next to him and sighed. 

“Hey Tony,” Pepper called, then stopped short realising where he had moved to. 

“Hi Pepper,” He replied, faking a polite tone. 

“Oh...right. Well sorry we’ll have to talk later, I...err...I have to go and talk to them.” She gestured in the general direction of a group of people. Not bothering to wait for a response, she left quickly without a backwards glance, her heels clicking on the hard floor. 

“That wasn’t awkward at all,” Loki commented. 

Tony chuckled. “Yeah, she’ll get over it I’m sure.” 

_I hope so_ Loki thought. He hadn’t believed that this Pepper business would be such a problem but seeing her again now had just reminded him of all his first fears. He wasn’t just angry at her for snapping at himself and Tony. Though he would never ever admit this, he was actually jealous of her. Her and Tony’s relationship was one to envy, and he hadn’t just come up with this himself, he had often heard the other avengers say it too. They had managed to go from the best of friends to a relationship with spoken words of love to sort of friends again. Loki hated to think about this but he had once overheard one of the team say that if they hadn’t got together, himself and Tony, then Pepper and Tony could have had another chance. That thought scared the god. Jealousy was not a good feeling. 

The quiet music that had been playing in the background died away, drawing Loki’s attention back to his surroundings. Bruce was leading Betty into the middle of the dance floor to even more applause. A slow song began to play that Loki took to be a love song and the couple began to revolve on the floor. Bruce held Betty close in a grip that said that he didn’t want to let go, it wasn’t hard and it wasn’t intimidating, it just said that he cared so much and wasn’t ready to let go. Betty rested her head against his shoulder and visibly relaxed. They looked so perfect, wrapped up in their own little world. No one could deny the level of love that was emanating from them. 

When the song ended, they pulled apart reluctantly and smiled at eachother. They exited the floor and broke apart, each finding a new partner. Betty took Steve’s hand and marched back to the centre of the floor as the music restarted with a new song and Bruce asked Natasha to dance to which she accepted. 

Tony stood up and offered his hand. “Care to join me?” 

“Really?” Loki asked curiously. 

“Yes really.” 

“But, people will see. What happens if this gets out or something bad happens?” He eyes flashed over to Pepper who was discreetly watching them from a corner. 

Tony followed his gaze and frowned. “I don’t care what people think or who sees. You’re my boyfriend and I’m going to dance with you at my friend’s wedding and not give a crap if someone doesn’t like it.” 

“As long as you’re sure,” Loki said, accepting his hand and walking with him to the dance floor. 

“I’m very sure,” Tony smiled. He placed his hands on Loki’s hips and drew him close while the god rested his arms over his shoulders, his fingers playing with Tony’s hair. 

They moved in time with the music and as the time passed and more couples joined them on the floor, the more Loki relaxed and began to enjoy himself. It was nice to share a more personal moment without having to do it in the tower or else hide from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. It was also a nice feeling to see the smirk fade from Pepper’s face as she watched them take to the floor. Fury’s expression was also amusing. He seemed far more shocked and utterly indignant about the whole thing but he made no move to stop them which made Loki even happier. Perhaps this was a step to them being more accepted. He knew it was small, but it was a start. 

The song ended and a lot of couples stepped away from the floor while others took their places. But some remained, like Loki and Tony, too lost in the moment to realise there was no music. Soon it began again and they all moved again, matching the slow rhythm with their precise steps. 

Loki revolved around with Tony, not putting in much effort but none was really needed. It was more about enjoying the closeness and the comfort of having eachother to hold. He took a breath and looked into Tony’s eyes. The next second he was stumbling backwards, as though winded, and panting lightly. 

“Are you okay?” Tony asked, concern written on his face. 

“Yeah, yes...just...I need a minute,” Loki said, stumbling over his words. 

He didn’t give the genius another moment to speak because he quickly headed off in the direction of the door. Once outside he breathed in the cool air, filling his lungs with the fresh oxygen. Not having any idea what happened, Loki rethought over the last few moments. All he could remember was dancing with Tony and then he had blacked out of the briefest of seconds and then he had fallen backwards and ran out. Before he could put any more thought to the matter Loki’s head began to spin and he lost his balance, staggering to the side and only managing to stay upright by holding onto a bench for support. Then his vision went black and he lost total focus of where he was and what he was doing. 

A voice filled his head. A voice that he had heard before, but one he had never expected to hear again. 

_“Hello my little prince, did you miss me? Of course you did, well it’s a good thing I’m coming for you. Yes, I’m so close. I will find you.”_

Loki sank even lower until he was kneeling on the hard ground, clutching his skull and breathing heavily. 

_“I will find you, and when I do I will punish you. I will make you pay for your failure. You will suffer, and so will your pathetic mortal friends. There is nowhere to run, I will find you.”_

The voice faded away leaving Loki just a cowering mess on the floor. After a few minutes of silence he started to compose himself, hoisting his body onto the bench and leaning forward so he could rest his head in his hands. 

What was going on? How could that have happened? How could he have spoken to him? All the questioned tumbled around his head until it began to ache from the strain of finding no possible answers. 

“Hey, Loki?” Tony rounded the corner. “Are you alright? You just ran out, I had no idea where you went.” 

“I...err.” He had a split second to decide what to say. Could he tell the truth? No, of course not. “I’m fine, I just needed some air,” He replied, smiling slightly. 

“Oh right,” Tony said, unconvinced. 

He sat down next to the god on the bench and looked out across the grass, not knowing what to say. It wasn’t a nice feeling being lied to, especially when it was exceptionally clear that he was lying. It was fair to say he was no longer the god of lies, judging by his poor performance now. Still Tony hated that he knew he was lying. Was it that insignificant that it didn’t matter? Or was it so important that he felt like he couldn’t trust him? Either way it hurt. He wanted to be trusted. 

“So, we should probably go back inside now.” 

“Okay I’ll come in a minute,” Loki murmured, not looking up. 

“Alright,” Tony said tensely. 

Once he was back inside he didn’t know what to do. He felt slightly lost and out of place. So far things with Loki had been fine and now this one tiny thing had made him think that perhaps everything was wrong. Really, thinking about it, he knew nothing about Loki, not really. He had only begun to get to know him a few months ago after seeing him try to take over the world with an alien army. Not really the best start to a relationship. And yet he had thought he had actually started to fall in love with him, this stupid mad god that was one of the most amazing and intriguing people he had ever met. How stupid and naive of him. 

“Hey, are you okay Tony?” Bruce asked, walking over to him. 

“What? Oh yeah I’m fine.” 

“You don’t look fine. Do you wanna talk about anything?” 

“No it’s fine, I wouldn’t want to put a downer on your wedding.” 

Bruce sighed, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his suit jacket before replacing them on his nose. “Well you’re sort of doing that already by just by having that depressed expression on your face so you might as well just tell me.” 

“It’s nothing really, it’s probably me just being stupid but I think there’s something up with Loki but he’s keeping it from me. He just started being really weird and he looked really panicked but he said he was fine when I asked if he was okay.” 

“Look Tony don’t worry. I’m sure everything’s fine. If this is the first time something happened then there’s no need to panic but obviously if it happens more then maybe you should confront him. Just act normal and it will be fine, see he’s just come back in. Go have a nice evening and stop complaining,” Bruce said, nodding his head towards the door where Loki had just re-entered through. 

The rest of the reception went surprisingly well. Tony acted as naturally as he could but whenever he thought Loki wasn’t watching, he studied him carefully, trying to identify any change in him. He found nothing except that the god seemed far tenser than he had been earlier in the day. Putting it down to something unimportant, he followed Bruce’s advice and tried to forget the whole thing. 

Loki knew he needed to stay calm and not freak out. He knew he was acting oddly but he was struggling to keep his cool. Thanos. Thanos. How had it been Thanos? He was dead. He was dead and gone and yet he had spoken to Loki. It had been no hallucination. Did that mean he was back? No. No. Loki had to believe there was another explanation. He had to. Because if he believed that Thanos was back, if he believed what he had just heard then that meant he was close to losing everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay wow so now something has actually happened (gasp) anyway so Thanos has been mentioned in this chapter and will crop up more from here, I will tell the truth I don't really know much about him so what I will be writing probably has nothing to do with his character or might not be true or whatever but this is fanfiction which means I can do what I want. Hopefully I won't make this too crap but there's always a chance...oh well. Thankyou for all the comments so far!!


	20. Chapter 19

# Chapter 19

Tony glanced up from his tablet screen and watched Loki as he sat motionless, gazing out the window over Manhattan. Though he looked interested in the view, Tony knew he wasn’t really seeing it. He was in a world of his own, a world that, judging by his expression and the little response Tony got when he spoke, was not a happy place to be. However Loki seemed reluctant to leave his thoughts, no matter if they were happy or sad, so up to this point Tony had left him alone. But now he had had enough, he couldn’t look at that sad deeply troubled expression for another second. 

He got up from his seat, walked over to his boyfriend and deliberately in front of him, effectively cutting off his view of the city. Loki blinked, his eyes focusing now on the man in front of him. 

“Look babe, what’s up?” Tony addressed him quietly. 

“Nothing,” Loki replied with a smile that even he would admit wasn’t at all convincing. 

“Well,” Tony said, moving forward until he was straddling his god’s lap. “Why do you look so miserable?” 

“I don’t.” 

Leaning back, Tony surveyed Loki then answered. “If I sat here, not doing anything and showing little signs of life, would you think there was something wrong? Yes. So I’ll ask again, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, I promise. Stop worrying,” The god smiled, reassuring enough to convince Tony just slightly. 

He still believed there was something wrong, something bigger than what Loki was letting on to. But he let it go. The more he pushed Loki, the greater the chance would be that he would turn angry which would probably lead to an argument that Tony really didn’t fancy having. 

“Fine, fine, fine, but I am going to do something about that look on your face.” 

Diving forward he latched onto Loki’s lips with his own, not letting go until the god was letting out small moans of pleasure. He brushed his lips over Loki’s jaw and started off down his neck, gently sucking then running his tongue over the light marks that he left. By this time Loki was becoming breathless and something was beginning to stir in his boxers. Grabbing Tony’s chin, he pulled his face back up so he could reattach their lips in a desperate kiss. 

He directed his other hand, the one not resting on the genius’s face, down over Tony’s body, finding the edge of shirt and pushing it up revealing his so far unmarked skin. Running his fingers over the exposed flesh, he felt Tony groan into the kiss. Loving the reactions he received, Loki glided his hands round to Tony’s back before slipping one inside his trousers, beginning to stroke his growing erection. 

Tony gasped at the contact and Loki chuckled against his neck, where he had moved to teasing the skin there. 

“If anyone walks in, _oh god_ ,” He cursed, as Loki brushed his thumb over the tip, smearing his pre-cum over the head. “I am so dead.” 

“I thought this was your tower, it will be their own fault for interrupting.” 

“It is my tower but they still live here,” Tony replied, running his own hands under Loki’s shirt and feeling his smooth, cool skin. 

“But you own it, you can do what you want, you can do whatever you want.” Loki moved his lips to Tony’s ear and spoke his next words in a low whisper. “You can even _do_ me.” He licked the shell of his ear before pulling back and staring Tony straight in his brown eyes that were clouded with lust. 

“But if anyone walks in-“ 

“They will get a damn good show,” Loki interrupted. “Now stop stalling and fuck me.” 

Tony didn’t need telling twice. He pushed up Loki’s top and forced it over his head then dropped it off the side of the sofa. Now with his whole torso revealed, Tony leant forward and began to mark him again, sucking harder until he left large red marks that wouldn’t be fading any time soon. After working over the god’s collarbone and partly down his chest, he took hold of his right nipple between his teeth and bit down gently. Loki let out a soft hiss of pleasure that turned into a low moan as Tony began to lick and suck it. He moved onto the left once he was satisfied with the first and made quick work of giving the other the same treatment. 

Using his hand, that wasn’t still teasing Tony through his underwear, Loki worked on his top, pulling it over the genius’s head. This meant he lost contact of Tony’s sips for a second, but soon they were back and working even lower. 

Shifting backwards off Loki’s lap, Tony slid to the floor so he was kneeling in front of him. He tugged on the edge of the god’s trousers, pulling him forward so it was easier to undo the button and work them a good way down his legs along with his boxers. 

He wrapped his hand around Loki’s cock and began pumping it, occasionally swiping his thumb over the head before replacing it with his mouth, sucking on the end and making Loki moan in pleasure. Holding eye contact the whole time, Tony took more and more of Loki into his mouth until he was deep throating him. Slowly he pulled away then he pushed back down, again taking the whole length. Soon he built a rhythm that had Loki groaning and muttering curses under his breath. 

“Enough,” Loki growled, pulling Tony away and off him. 

Loki undid Tony’s trousers and tugged them down hastily, becoming far too impatient to wait any longer. Noticing his urgency, Tony helped out by stepping fully out of his trousers and removing Loki’s properly too so they were both now fully naked. The god brought his face closer and drew Tony into a deep kiss. Their tongues danced and dived against eachother, Loki tasting himself on Tony’s. 

During the kiss Loki managed to slip off the sofa and onto his knees as well. Breaking apart for air, he took the opportunity and bent over the sofa and spread his legs at a wide enough angle for Tony, but not too wide to that he would fall down. 

Tony saw how inviting that position was and knew exactly what Loki wanted. However, he wanted to make him wait, he wanted him to suffer and beg. 

Spreading Loki’s butt cheeks with the palms of his hands, he moved his face closer and ran his tongue around the edge of his tight hole. Loki let out a harsh gasp that caught in his throat as Tony pushed into him. He thrust his tongue in as far as he could before bringing it out and repeating the action, each time rewarding more gasps and whimpers from Loki. 

He drew his tongue out for the last time and instead replaced it with two fingers. He pumped them in and out, occasionally scissoring them, while he nibbled and kissed the skin just above the hole. After some time he added and another finger that caused Loki to release a long moan. 

“I’m so close,” He said, then cried out as Tony hit his prostate. 

Tony removed his finger and wrapped them instead around his own neglected cock. He guided it to Loki’s entrance, pumping it a few time before positioning himself and pushing inside the hot furnace. The muscle contracted around him, making him moan himself from the tight warmth that felt so good. 

He kept thrusting forward until his whole length was swallowed up, then he pulled out and pounded back in. Normally he would have started out slow but today he couldn’t hold back and he knew Loki didn’t want him to. His rhythm picked up to a blinding speed and before long a tight coiling started in his stomach that soon became unbearable. Angling just right, with each thrust he hit Loki’s prostate. 

“Ah ahh oh by the god’s, Tony, A-Anthony yes, yes yes. More!” 

These encouragements sent him over the edge. With a few more thrusts he was soon cumming deep inside Loki, moaning his name the whole time. He rode out his orgasm then pulled out of the god. 

“Tony, please.” The desperate whisper reached him. 

He looked at Loki and saw he was pumping his own erection, desperate for release. Knocking his hand out the way, Tony replaced it with his own and wrapped his mouth back around the head. Loki released into his mouth with a quiet drawn out moan and watched as Tony swallowed every last drop. 

Both totally spent and with little energy left between them. Loki cast a simple spell that cleaned them up to a reasonable degree and also put their clothes back on their bodies. Now totally exhausted, Loki crawled back onto the sofa with Tony and nestled his head into his chest while the genius put and arm around his waist and drew him close. They took a second to just appreciate eachother and how lucky they were to have eachother before unconsciousness claimed them and they fell into dreamless sleeps. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Jolting slightly, Loki opened his eyes a crack and looked out across the living room, trying to see who had just entered. He heard footsteps, the sound of high-heeled shoes on the hard wood floor. It had to be Pepper. Not wanting to talk to her or even acknowledge her presence, he closed his eyes again and attempted to go back to sleep. 

The footsteps drew close but then he heard another pair, this persons were far lighter. This meant it was either Clint, with his archery skills he had learnt to be quick and light on his feet, or it was Natasha, who had been taught the art of stealth and mastered it brilliantly. 

“Hey Pep, what are you doing here?” Clint asked. 

So it was the archer, Loki thought. 

“I came to get some more signatures from Tony because he never keeps on top of his paper work. But then I got here and...” Her words faded off as she nodded towards the pair that were still wrapped around eachother on the sofa. 

“Trust me, they grow on you,” Clint replied. 

Pepper sent him a _really?_ Look. “But how do you accept them? How do you accept him, especially after what he did?” 

“Loki will always be a dick, he will always be the dick that enslaved me and tried to take over the world. But now he is also the dick that makes Tony happy, which is funny because his dick also makes Tony happy.” He laughed then saw Pepper’s disapproving look and quickly stopped. “Sorry, not the time.” 

Pepper shook her head. “I just don’t understand it. I know him and I broke up, we just wasn’t right for eachother. But how is Loki a good replacement, how is he better than me? He is crazy and should be locked up somewhere. How do you all just let him walk around with a collar and lead?” 

“That’s a bit harsh you haven’t seen the change we have. I’m not saying he’s totally safe but he’s stable. And I don’t know why Tony likes him but he does, they are actually surprisingly good together.” 

A doubtful expression formed on Pepper’s face. “No, I don’t buy it. There’s something there that’s not right, he’s probably using him. Or just getting him into bed for the kicks or something, I don’t know. All I know is that it’s wrong, Tony should know better than to get with someone like him.” 

Clint wasn’t impressed by what she said but he didn’t comment, instead offering to take the papers that she wanted signing and give them to Tony later. She agreed and left the small stack on the kitchen island before saying goodbye and leaving. The archer stayed for a few seconds, staring at Tony and Loki before shrugging and heading for the fridge. He pulled out some food then got the lift back to his own floor, having got what he came for. 

Once Loki heard that they were both gone, his eyes flew open. So this was the truth, this was what she truly thought. But was this just her? Or was this everyone? Did they all think this? Did they all think he was playing Tony for kicks? It wasn’t true, he knew it wasn’t true but the others apparently thought it was. Never would he do that to someone. Yes, in the past he had hurt short term lovers and only kept them around for the company but Tony wasn’t like that. He cared for Tony, hell he loved Tony and yet these people all thought it was fake. 

Loki lifted his head from Tony’s chest and looked at his face. He looked so peaceful during slumber. There was no worry, no emotion, it was just Tony without anybody or anything changing him. This was the natural him. Loki loved to watch him sleep but now he couldn’t look at him, he didn’t want to hurt him. He wanted this expression to remain forever and yet he knew it wouldn’t. There would be pain and sadness and Loki knew that he would be the cause. 

Disentangling himself from Tony’s arms, he managed to slip away from his grip and walk out the room, not knowing that as he pulled away Tony’s eyes flickered and opened. 

“Loki?” Tony asked, but he had already left the room and was out of earshot. 

Sitting up, Tony frowned. What was wrong with Loki at the moment? It was really starting to worry him. Had something happened that he didn’t know about? Had he had a disagreement with Thor that had ended badly? Not having any answers, he followed after the god. 

“Hey Loki,” he began, finding the god sitting next to the huge window in the second sitting room with all the books. “What’s up?” 

The god looked up at him and he could have sworn he saw a tear run down his cheek. It was gone, however, as soon as he thought he saw it, Loki having rubbed his hands over his face as he stood up. 

“Why do you like me, Anthony?” Loki asked quietly. 

“What?” 

“Why do you like me? Why are you in a relationship with me? Why do you even tolerate me?” Loki asked again, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. 

“I don’t tolerate you Loki, I like to be round you. It’s not like it’s a job, I actually enjoy your presence, I like to talk to you and sometimes I even like to argue with you just so I can see your face angry because you look even more attractive than normal. You’re intelligent, you’re different, you’re awesome in bed...What’s brought this on?” 

“N-nothing, I just wondered.” 

“Look Loki I can’t just tell you why I like you, but I do. I know it’s a stupid explanation but I honestly don’t know myself, something about you just drew me in then suddenly I realised I was in deep and I couldn’t escape but by that time I had already realised I didn’t want to.” 

Loki looked at him sadly before taking a deep breath. That was a very good answer, he truly felt special and worth something at this moment and he also knew he was about to ruin it. 

“I told you not that long ago there was stuff I still need to tell you but I wasn’t ready yet, well I am now.” 

“O-kay,” Tony said, now feeling just the tinniest bit nervous. 

Taking a couple of steps back, Loki took one more glance at Tony, knowing he would never look at him in the same way again, then he closed his eyes and felt coldness wash over him. It travelled throughout his body and came from the inside out. It started with his heart and travelled through his veins and arteries until it reached ever part of his body and consumed it. 

He heard Tony take a sharp intake of breath and knew it was done. Loki opened his eyes, very reluctantly, and stared at the floor. 

“Err umm Loki, what’s with the blue?” 

“This...this is my natural form. This is what my people look like, you know I am adopted, well I come from Jotunheim, the land of the frost giants and this is what we look like.” 

He could feel Tony’s eyes on his but he didn’t make contact, preferring to look at the floor and not see the disgust that was surly waiting for him. 

“Loki, why do you seem so sad about it? You look like you hate yourself.” 

“That’s because I do. I hate this skin, I hate what I am, I hate my true heritage and everything that goes with it. I hate Jotunheim and its race. This skin,” Loki spat, his own disgust obvious in his tone. “This is everything I hate, this is everything that has ever caused me pain, this is the reason my life went so wrong, this is the reason why I’m alone, why I have no family, why I can’t be loved.” 

“You’re being ridiculous.” 

“Am I?” Loki asked, glancing up for the first time. He was shocked to see that it was not hate and disgust that met him. 

“Yes you are. This form may have caused you to be unhappy and caused your life to not be the best it could have been. But you’re not alone, you’re not without family and you can be loved and you are! Now come here.” 

“What?” 

“I said come here,” Tony said again, but seeing that Loki wouldn’t move, he himself closed the space between them and pulled Loki down into a searing kiss. 

When Tony pulled back he kept his forehead resting against Loki’s. “Don’t ever, don’t ever think that people don’t care or that people will not love you or people will leave you just because of this. I certainly won’t, it’s a part of you and I will love it because I love you.” 

It took almost a minute for them both to realise what had just been said and neither of them said a thing. Tony hadn’t meant to let that slip, he hadn’t been prepared to tell Loki yet about how he felt and yet it just slipped out. 

Loki felt warmth well up inside him as those words sunk in. Tony loved him. Tony loved him. He willed himself to say it back. He wanted to return the words with his own. He wanted to tell Tony he loved him too but he couldn’t, the words just wouldn’t come out. It fought hard but they wouldn’t come. It was as though there was a barrier blocking them, locking them inside him so they could never be shared. 

A voice filled his head again. One that he really wished hadn’t spoken, that he wished was fake and that would stop haunting him. 

“ _He’s lying. He’s lying. He doesn’t care. No one can ever love you,_ ” Thanos laughed coldly, the echoes of his sick joy staying with Loki long after the voice had faded.


	21. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appologise for this short update but I hated writing this and I just wanted it done. Hopefully the end result wasn;t too bad but I'll let you be the judge. Thankyou for all the comments and Kudos, I appreciate them all :)

# Chapter 20

The sigh escaped his lips without him even really noticing. He had been doing it so much recently that he had almost forgotten the difference between sighing and usual breathing. Trying again to concentrate on his work, he leaned forward over his workbench but ended up just swiping the thing he was working on to the side so he could rest his head on the uneven surface. 

“Something wrong?” 

Tony jumped, startled by the voice, but smiled slightly when he realised who it belonged to. “So your back,” He stated, watching Bruce walk closer and take a seat opposite him. 

“Yeah I’m back.” 

“And the first thing you do is come and visit your best friend, what does that tell you about your marriage. Already giving up are we?” Tony smirked. 

“Ahaha,” Bruce laughed, sarcastically. “No I’ve been back a day now and thought I should drag myself away from my beautiful wife and come and visit you. Make sure you haven’t exploded something or other.” 

Rolling his eyes, Tony pulled the thing he had been working on back in front of him and began to tinker with it again. 

“So how was it then?” 

Bruce sighed at the question before answering. It wasn’t one of Tony’s sighs, a mixture of frustration and sadness and exhaustion. It was a sigh of joy for the amazing memory that was his honeymoon. 

“It was indescribable. I-it was just perfect. If everyday could be like that then I would believe that I was in heaven.” 

A smile crept onto Tony’s face at that. He was glad his friend had found the happiness that he had long since deserved. After suffering so hard and for so long, it was so nice to see he had finally found what he had been looking for. Tony wondered what it would be like to feel how Bruce felt now, feeling utterly complete and at peace, knowing he was no longer alone. He thought of Loki and imagined that it was them who had just got married and come back from their honeymoon. He imagined the expression of pure happiness on the god’s face and was filled with warmth but that soon slipped away as he remembered that he hadn’t even seen Loki smile in days. 

“Anyway how’s your life? Tony?” Bruce asked, distracting Tony from his thoughts. 

“Oh what? Yeah it’s...it’s err fine, I suppose.” 

“That means it sucks, right.” It wasn’t a question. 

Reluctantly Tony nodded. The only person he really trusted besides Loki was Bruce and obviously he couldn’t go to Loki about this. He knew it was better to share his problems than keep them locked away. He knew Bruce would be less judging and give good sound advice. 

“It’s Loki.” Bruce nodded for him to continue. “You know I said at the wedding that he looked panicked and I thought he was keeping it from me and then you told me not to panic unless it happened more often. Well it started happening more, he’s acting really strangely and I’ve tried talking to him but every single time he cuts me dead, just saying that he’s fine.” 

Biting his bottom lip, Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment while watching Tony closely. “Is there anything else?” 

Tony broke eye contact, choosing instead to stare at the work surface in front of him. A light blush crept up his cheeks that caused Bruce to frown. 

“I told him that I loved him,” the genius said quickly, fiddling with his hands in his lap. 

“Oh god,” Bruce breathed. He rubbed his hand across his temple, smoothing out the creases so that his expression settled into something nearer neutral. “Any particular reason why you said it?” 

“I didn’t just say it for fun,” Tony barked defensively. “I actually meant it; I just hadn’t expected to say it right then.” 

“And why did you say it then?” 

“Because it...well it sorta just slipped out. It was probably from what Loki had just told, or, well, shown me.” 

And so he began to explain the whole situation and how it had led to Loki revealing his Jotun form. He decided to miss out the part of him and Loki doing it on the sofa but added in the bit about Pepper and Clint’s conversation that the god had told him about later on. Bruce listened to every detail, just like he always did, not interrupting once. And that’s what Tony loved about him. He knew when to keep quiet and yet he also knew when to speak out and share his opinion. It was something that Tony envied. He had never been able to keep his mouth shut, he always had to have the last word in arguments and always interrupted with inappropriate comments that he knew weren’t needed. 

Just like he always did as a response to learning new information, Bruce removed his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt before replacing them carefully. 

“So he’s still acting strangely, did he say he loved you back?” 

Tony shook his head and dropped his head into his hands, groaning loudly. Then suddenly his head popped back up and he was smiling. 

“Hey wait, he was acting weird before I said I love you so it can’t be that.” 

“Yeah but you still have the problem that there is something up with him that is obviously quite bad.” 

“Always one to put a downer on stuff, aren’t you?” Tony grumbled, the smile slipping off his face instantly. “So Mr Smart Ass, what do you suggest I do?” 

Silence fell as Bruce thought about possible advice he could give. As always, Tony grew bored and restless very quickly and was soon tapping the rhythm of Shoot To Thrill on his workbench. Bruce sent him a look but he didn’t notice, far too interested in getting the tune exactly right. 

“Why don’t you just talk to him?” 

“You had all that time to think and that’s what you came up with?” 

Rolling his eyes, Bruce answered, “It’s good advice but if you really don’t want to then talk to Thor. Surprisingly, though Loki loves to deny it, Thor had known him since he was a child. They grew up as brothers so really no one knows him better. Just make sure your boyfriend doesn’t overhear because that could end very badly.” 

Tony thought about that for a moment. It was true, Thor did know Loki better so he could just briefly mention Loki was acting off and just enquire as to if this had happened before. He knew he needed to be careful. If he decided to have a proper in depth conversation with the golden god, he had to be on extra alert in case Loki heard. He knew it was wrong to hide something like this and discuss his problem behind his back but Loki wasn’t helping himself. Tony was always there if he wanted help and yet he hadn’t sought it so now it was Tony’s turn to seek help. He just prayed that this was the right thing to do. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It surprisingly took longer than usual to find the blond good. At first, after leaving his workshop, Tony headed for his living room and kitchen on the top floor because everyone always seemed to be there. It happened to be today however that no one was in sight. Getting in the lift Tony headed for Thor’s own floor but didn’t find him there. He was starting to think that perhaps he had gone to visit Jane without telling anyone. He asked JARVIS where the god was and it turned out that he had just entered the tower and was now in the lift heading for Tony’s floor. 

Sighing in annoyance, he got back in the lift once it arrived and travelled back to his own floor. On arriving he spotted Thor in the kitchen with his head in the fridge, just where he had expected him to be the first time. 

“Hey Thor buddy,” He said, hopefully coming over as casual. 

“Hello Tony, how are you?” 

“Good thanks. And you?” 

Thor proceeded to say that he was very well and was enjoying the fine weather that they were currently having. They dabbled in small talk for a while, Tony only using it to put off the moment he would have to bring up the real issue. In the end he didn’t have to bring it up because Thor mentioned it himself. 

“So is there anything I can help you with, you seem somewhat troubled?” 

“Um yeah there actually is.” 

Thor dropped the sandwich he had been eating and stared intently at Tony. Although he had his full attention which Tony appreciated, he found the piercing gaze very off-putting and he stumbled over his words a few times before he could get them out in a coherent way. 

“Um err yeah...okay so, I was just gunna ask, have you noticed something off with Loki recently?” He asked, his practised casual tone really not coming across well. 

“Something off with Loki? No I haven’t noticed anything.” 

And there it was, the guilt that Tony wished that he didn’t have to see. He hated that Thor could pull off that kicked puppy look so well. He wished he didn’t have to make him feel that. Why did he still believe that Loki was his responsibility and had to notice everything and sort out everything? This was the reason he hadn’t wanted to go to Thor in the first place. 

“Oh it’s nothing big,” Tony lied. “He’s just acting a bit weird and I just wondered whether he had ever done something like this before?” 

“Um no I don’t believe he has. When we grew up together he went through fazes of being very quiet and reserved but that was just his way. But since seeing him here, living in the tower and being in a relationship with you and don’t believe I have seen him like that again. He always seems happy with you.” 

“Thanks,” Tony replied, slightly awkwardly. He always thought that Thor was sort of against their relationship but he had never commented. Perhaps he just didn’t want to think about his friend screwing his adopted brother. “So you can’t think of anything that could be bothering him?” 

“No I don’t believe there is anything. I would suggest perhaps giving him some space or else talking to him.” 

“Yeah talking to him doesn’t work, he just closes up and says nothing’s wrong.” 

“Maybe there is nothing wrong and he just had one off day. Don’t go making mountains out of molehills.” 

Damn he wished Thor had never learnt Midgardian sayings. It could be that Loki is fine and he was just making it out to be something bigger but deep down he knew that wasn’t true. There was something wrong and no one, not even Loki could tell him there wasn’t. 

“If that is all I would say farewell, I have to meet our captain about some issues.” 

“Okay, bye,” Tony muttered, waving his hand vaguely as a goodbye. 

He was feeling very disgruntled. He was getting absolutely nowhere with discovering Loki’s problem and it was really starting to bring him down. 

Sighing from exhaustion, Tony got to his feet and made to move just as Thor headed for the lift. Just as the god vanished with another wave, Tony turned round and heard a rustle of clothes and the quick footsteps of someone who had been listening in. He only knew two people with footsteps that light and this could only be one of them. Loki. Shit. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

He hurried after Loki before he really thought about what he was doing. Well he couldn’t exactly leave him could he? It would just be putting off the inevitable. 

“Hey babe,” Tony said, trying his best to sound sorry and casual at the same time. 

Loki turned away from the window he had been staring out of and looked at him straight in the eye. His gaze was penetrating and locked Tony’s eyes onto his. There was no escape. 

“Why were you talking to Thor?” 

It was obvious the god was playing him. Loki wasn’t stupid and he had great listening skills, he knew exactly what had been said and yet he was playing dumb. He wanted to see if Tony would say the truth from the start or just lie. It was a good thing that the genius wasn’t stupid either and knew exactly what he was doing. Though telling the truth would have consequences, it was far better than lying. 

“I was asking him if he knew what is up with you.” 

“And what did he say?” 

“You know what he said,” Tony muttered sadly. “You were listening the whole time.” 

“Why did you go to Thor?” Loki asked, his tone flat giving away nothing. 

“You know damn well why,” Tony cried, not being able to hold back his own emotion. “I’ve asked you everyday if you are okay and you say yes and yet you never seem happy, you never seem really anything. You’re hiding everything away and I can see it and it hurts that you don’t trust me. Why don’t you trust me?” 

Tony thought for a moment that he saw Loki’s face soften but the next second he knew he had imagined it. The god’s face was back to being expressionless and hollow. 

“I could ask you the same, why don’t you trust me when I say I am fine?” 

Honestly he couldn’t believe he was hearing this. How could Loki be acting like this? It didn’t even seem like it was Loki. This was nothing like he was just a few weeks ago. This was nothing like the Loki he had fallen for. Who was this and where had his Loki gone? 

“Because I know you’re not.” His voice softened as he spoke his next words. “Loki, please, just talk to me. I might be able to help, I might not but there’s nothing wrong with just telling me.” 

“Stop patronising me, I am not a child,” Loki said harshly. 

“Fine then, if you’re going to be like this then I’m going to bed.” 

Loki watched Tony walk away, unable to do anything. He heard the genius’s bedroom door slam and then there was no noise at all. 

A wave of nausea swept over him so fast that he fell to his knees. Clutching his skull, he breathed deeply, hoping to stop the ache that had just erupted inside. 

_“I told you he doesn’t care. Look how he just abandoned you. You are far better off with me.”_

“Leave me alone,” Loki whispered, gripping his skull tighter. “Stop ruining my life.” 

Thanos laughed manically. _“Your life? You don’t have a life. These pointless mortals mean nothing and I will enjoy breaking every single one into tiny pieces.”_

“You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead. You can’t be here, you’re dead,” Loki repeated, starting to rock on the floor. 

_“Clearly not little Loki, but fear not, you’ll have proof very soon. I’m coming for you and there is no escape. I just hope you are ready to watch your friends die.”_

The voice faded away and Loki sank even further until he was curled up on the floor. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in his hands, not even trying to hold back his tears.


	22. Chapter 21

# Chapter 21

From the first moment he remained consciousness his hand flew up to his head, trying and failing to stop the ache just by massaging it with his finger tips. He had gone to sleep that night hoping that the pain would dissipate, allowing his memory to come back. All he could recall was the pain and Thanos, the parts that he really wanted to forget. 

Struggling out from between his bed sheets, Loki walked into his bathroom and stared at his reflection. It was safe to say that he looked rough and not the kind after a wild night drinking, the kind that hinted dramatically to the person being extremely disturbed and troubled. 

He turned on the tap and patted his face with cold water, hoping that the small shock would refresh him or at least awaken him slightly more before he left his room. Seeing that it had no effect when he glanced back in the mirror, he decided to go all out and have a cold shower. The water cascaded over his head and dripped from the ends of his un-brushed hair. He picked up the bottle of shampoo and massaged some into his scalp before he watched the bubbles gather round his feet as the foam washed away. Just before he exited the cubicle, he smothered himself in shower gel and washed it off, making sure that he was fully clean. 

Once dried and dressed, Loki hung around in his room for a few minutes, not knowing what to do and still not remembering anything. After some thinking time he realised the best option was to find Tony and talk to him. He had a feeling something bad had happened yesterday and he had to make sure he hadn’t said anything that could be permanently damaging. 

He decided it was best to knock on Tony’s bedroom door before entering, but seeing as he got no reply he walked in anyway. As he had expected, Tony was fast asleep with one arm above his head, resting on the pillow, while the other lay on his stomach that rose and fell in rhythm with his steady breathing. 

Loki let out his own steady breath then stepped forward to the edge of the bed and sat down. The sinking of the mattress caused Tony to stir. He looked blearily up at Loki with an odd look of his face that made the god immediately uncomfortable. However he chose to ignore it for now, putting it down to the fact that perhaps he had startled Tony by sitting there. 

“Good morning,” Loki said. “I missed waking up next to you this morning.” 

It was true. Every night for weeks he had been sharing Tony’s bed and the fact that he had awoken alone put even more worry in his mind and a heavier weight to settle on his heart. 

“Morning,” Tony replied, still eyeing him oddly. “How are you?” 

“I’m fine, are you?” 

“Yeah, I’m alright. It’s just after yesterday, I just thought...” 

His words drifted away into silence. 

“You thought what?” Loki asked, wishing Tony would be specific so he could paint a clear picture of the night’s events. 

“I don’t know. I thought you’d still be angry, that we wouldn’t talk, that we’d need to talk about it.” 

“We are talking about it.” 

“But you’re talking so carefully as though you don’t even remember,” Tony said, anger accidently creeping into his voice. 

Loki stared at the ground, not wanting to look at anything even close to Tony. What was he supposed to say? How could he say that he remembered nothing and he had no idea what was going on? He assumed they had had some sort of argument but the only thing he could remember was Thanos. He shivered at the thought of him. 

“That’s because I don’t,” He answered very quietly. 

“What? How can you not remember?” 

“I...I don’t know.” 

Tony let out a very frustrated sigh as he got out of bed, rubbing his hand over his unshaven chin. For some time he just paced up and down before it all became too much and his anger exploded. 

“How the fuck can you not remember Loki? What is the matter with you? You are acting so fucking weird and now you can’t even remember getting pissed at me yesterday. What is going on? Seriously, I want an answer because I have no fucking idea.” 

The god let him rage, not once flinching or even moving. He just watched as Tony shouted everything that had been eating at him for longer than Loki had known about. Perhaps this would be a good moment to tell him about Thanos, he thought, but soon changed his mind, thinking Tony would probably think he was making up excuses. 

“So, don’t you have anything to say?” 

“I don’t know,” Loki replied. 

“You don’t know, you don’t fucking know. Wow, well that’s just great, fucking fantastic,” Tony shouted sarcastically. 

“What do you want me to say? I don’t all the answers.” 

“I wish you did,” Tony muttered. 

Loki couldn’t take it anymore, he had to get out. He needed air, he needed some space. His head was still pounding and he could have sworn it had gotten worse. Not looking back at Tony even once, Loki headed for the door and entered into the corridor that led to both their rooms. He hurried along, walking towards the kitchen for a drink of water. Tony didn’t follow. 

Just as he reached the open living room, his head began to ache even more until- 

_“Well well Loki, seems like you’re messing up everything yourself. By the time I get there they’ll be nothing left for me to destroy.”_

The voice made Loki freeze. No. No. Why was this happening again? Why now? 

_“Have you realised it ye? Have you noticed yet how much he doesn’t care? He hates you Loki. Stop kidding yourself and realise that he is using you. He never loved you.”_

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” 

_“You really think that’s going to work? I’m inside your head, I’m a part of you. You can’t destroy me without destroying yourself.”_

“Stop lying to me, you’re dead. You’re not really here, you can’t be,” Loki said loudly. 

_“Aww is little Loki scared, is little Loki confused? Good. You should be,”_ Thanos hissed. 

“No no NO, LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU’RE NOT HERE, YOU’RE NOT REAL!” 

“Loki, what’s going on?” Tony asked, stumbling into the room after leaving his room swiftly because of the shouts. 

He moved towards Loki but stopped abruptly as Loki held up a hand towards him. As he watched Loki doubled over as though in unbearable agony, panic stirred inside him. Was Loki having a breakdown? The god looked so scared. What the hell was going on? The questions whirled around his head, with each spin they gained more momentum and added even more to the mix until his brain was nothing but unhelpful. 

More than anything he wanted to run forward and hold Loki, he didn’t know what he would do after that but just wanted to reassure him. He knew he had acted like a dick earlier but everything was really starting to get to him. The thought of not knowing what was wrong with Loki was just becoming too much, he needed to know what was wrong just for his own piece of mind. He wanted to know if he could help, he needed to know that he could help. 

“Loki? Loki, look at me. What’s going on?” 

Loki tried to look up but his head was forced back down by a will that wasn’t his own. Instead he looked towards the window then down at the floor. 

_“Just look at it Loki, look at the pathetic mortal that apparently you love. How could you love scum like this?”_

“Shut up. AHHH LEAVE ME ALONE!” 

_“How could I ever? This is far too much fun.”_

“You’re sick!” Loki spat. 

“What? Loki, who’s sick?” 

“UHH I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE,” Loki cried, falling to the floor and letting his tears run free. 

Tony ran forward and supported him as he kneeled on the ground. He held onto both his arms and tried to get into the god’s line of sight, repeating the same few phrases to try and get Loki to look at him. Loki just carried on mumbling to himself. 

After what felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes, Loki looked straight at Tony. “Please,” He breathed. “Please help me, it’s...it’s him.” 

“Him? Loki, who’s him?” 

“He tells me things and threatens me. He says he’s coming and I’m so scared. Please Anthony, please help me.” 

What was he supposed to do? How could he help? Every single second he saw Loki in this state ripped away another tiny piece of his heart. Not having any other ideas, he pulled the god close like he had wanted to do in the first place and wrapped his arms around him, trying to create a bubble of security. If only the problem wasn’t already inside the bubble. 

_“He doesn’t really care. He’s lying, he’s playing you. He’s still in love with that blond, Miss Potts. I’m inside your head little Loki, I know about your jealousy, I know how much you fear her. You think she will take him away. But the truth is, he was never yours in the first place.”_

Loki’s breathing increased and his head began to spin. He wanted the voice out, he wanted Thanos away. He was supposed to be dead. How was this happening? The shock and adrenaline continued to pulse through his veins, he hadn’t even realised he was shaking until he felt Tony hold him tighter and heard him whisper calming nothings into his ear. 

Seeming to have control of his body again, Loki shifted even closer to the genius and buried his face in his chest and tangled his fingers into his t-shirt, tugging at it slightly. It was all for reassurance, he needed to feel safe and Tony’s familiar scent and presence offered exactly that. 

The minutes began to tick by and no more was heard. For a fleeting second Loki thought that it might be the end, that the Thanos inside his head had gone and he was free again. But no. Things were never that simple. 

He had been resting against Tony for quite some time, just breathing deeply in rhythm with him, when everything went white and his head was hurting more than he ever thought was possible. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t think. All he was and all he could feel was Thanos. 

“Get off me,” Loki said quietly, but it wasn’t him talking. 

Tony, however, couldn’t sense the change and frowned. 

“What Loki, what’s up?” 

“Don’t pretend you care. Now step away from me.” 

He did as he was told and watched Loki from a distance as he got to his feet in one swift movement. All trances of fear and uncertainty were gone. His face was now a mask of nothing. 

“Don’t look at me like that. So uncertain, so scared that perhaps your Loki has gone. Perhaps you’re thinking that he was never there and all of this has been a wild fantasy.” 

“Loki what-“ 

“I’m not finished,” Loki snarled and Tony took another few steps backwards. “Perhaps you’re reconsidering your love. Love. Such a stupid worthless word, a bit like yourself really, stupid worthless mortal who foolishly believes that a god of Asgard could actually love something of such little significance.” 

Tony didn’t know what to do. Loki had gone from remembering nothing to having a break down to feeling as though he was above everyone. He wondered if this was how it used to be and at some point down the line he got stuck at the point where he believed was better than everyone and that thought was the thing that drove him to such destruction and chaos. 

“But Loki has never told me he loves me, that’s the difference.” 

“You speak as though I am not Loki when it is obvious because I am standing right in front of you.” 

“I don’t believe you’re Loki,” Tony said dangerously, almost challenging. 

“Ah you’re just demonstrating the pointless optimism that most humans seem to possess.” 

“Yes it is my pointless optimism that prays that you are not the real Loki. I know I’ve barely known him compared to some but I know him enough to know this isn’t him. I fell in love with the real him and what I see now is nothing to what he is. Whatever you are, I will find you and destroy you.” 

“Then you will be destroying the one you love because I am Loki and that won’t be changing.” 

The Loki that stood before Tony laughed hysterically, an evil grin firmly in place. 

“Why don’t you just give up?” The Loki asked suddenly, surprising Tony. 

“Give up on what?” 

“On me, why don’t you just accept the fact that I don’t care about you? That I don’t love. That I just used you. That you are nothing. That you will be destroyed.” 

“Because I don’t want to. It’s probably due to my pointless optimism that I choose not to give up on people and that I choose to fall so deeply in love with things that I know are broken and doomed.” Tony looked at Loki sadly. “I know Iron Man is broken, it’s a broken dream. I knew from the moment that I created it, it would be my doom and yet I love it. And I love Loki. Even though he is still so broken, I love him more than I love anything which is so ridiculously stupid. I also still love him even though I know he’s doomed. Whatever you are, whatever you’re doing, you’re hurting him and I will break you before you break him.” 

“That’s funny because that was exactly what I was planning on doing to you.” 

Ouch, that hurt. But it was also the proof Tony needed to truly convince himself that this wasn’t Loki. He knew Loki cared because, though he liked to think he was, he wasn’t that good at lying to Tony. If he had ever tried, the genius always managed to spot the very subtle give away that was always there. It was something that had taken time to perfect but he was now so glad at this moment that he had. 

“Look Loki, wherever you are in there, you’ve gotta fight back. Fight. I can help you, we can all help you,” Tony implored, trying a new angle because he was becoming desperate. 

“I do not need help,” Loki spat. 

“I wasn’t talking to you.” 

Tony made eye contact and continued to stare until the urge to blink became too much. Loki was unfazed and started to pace again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Following the same path across the hard wood flooring. 

_Loki fought hard to escape from the prison that Thanos had pushed him into. He was still inside his own body and he could hear every word being said but he could do nothing. When he heard Tony telling him to fight, he really tried. He put in everything he had and pushed at the invisible walls that were keeping him locked away. He didn’t know how long it would take and he didn’t even know how strong Thanos was. Was he strong enough to hold on? Would Thanos ever let up and allow him back? Would he remain like this forever?_

The Loki standing in front of Tony twitched slightly and froze mid stride. 

“Something wrong?” Tony asked, not actually caring at all. 

“Nothing you should concern yourself over,” Loki said, but his voice wavered at the end giving him away. 

Tony guessed what was happening straight away. Loki was in there and he was fighting. He had heard Tony talk. 

“Argghhh.” Loki buckled over clutching at his chest and stomach as though something was trying to claw its way out. “No, you will not.” 

He staggered to the side and clung to the coffee table for support. His breathing came out in ragged gasps and his face had gone impossibly pale. Tony didn’t speak but watched the scene unfold before him. 

“NO!” Loki screamed. And then he was gone. 

Tony blinked then rubbed his eyes and blinked again. 

“Loki, Loki? Where are you? Loki?” 

Panic arose inside him and his own breathing quickened. He scanned the room but saw no one and no traces to say anyone had been there. Running from room to room, he had soon checked the whole top floor of the tower. Nothing. 

The panic took over as he fumbled for the phone in his pocket. His hand shook so much that it fell from his grip and landed heavily on the floor. At this moment, though, he really didn’t care if it was broken. 

“JARVIS,” He said steadily, trying desperately to not let his voice falter and reveal his panic. “Call the Avenger’s up here now and tell them it’s urgent.” 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“What? Loki’s gone, but how?” Clint questioned for the umpteenth time. 

“For god’s sake Clint, he just explained it,” Natasha said exasperatedly. 

It hadn’t taken them all too long to arrive but the difficult bit had been them all turning up at different times. The first to arrive was Steve, who immediately questioned Tony. He refused to speak until everyone else got there but when they did, one by one, the process was repeated and in the end he just told them all to shut up and wait for Bruce, who was the last to arrive. 

“I do not understand,” Thor frowned. “Who do you believe was Loki if he was not himself?” 

“He never said. I’ve told you all everything I know but it’s just...what do we do now?” 

“I’d say we should just remain calm. There’s no point freaking out if there is no need to. How about we give it a couple of days and if he doesn’t come back then we’ll alert S.H.I.E.L.D of what’s happened.” 

“But they might find out before hand, what do we do then?” 

“We’ll deal with it when it happens,” Bruce sighed then turned to Tony. “Do you have any footage of what happened?” 

“Yes Sir, I have the whole event tapped, would you like to see it?” JARVIS said, his cool English accent breaking the short silence that had formed. 

“Go for it.” 

A screen appeared in front of them and they all leaned in to watch. Tony was the only who didn’t, seeing it once was bad enough and he was still in shock from the first time. 

Loki was gone and he didn’t know where. He didn’t know if he was okay or if he was hurt. He didn’t know who was doing this or how they were doing it. He didn’t know anything. That was the thought that was scaring him most. That and the tiny chance that maybe, just maybe, he would never see Loki again. He swallowed and buried that thought as far down as he could. No, he couldn’t even consider that.


	23. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note in advance, next week will be the last update for 2 weeks because I'm going on holiday and I won't have wifi, sorry!! Please enjoy this chapter :)

# Chapter 22

“Tony?” 

“Hmmm...What?” 

“You’ve been staring at a blank screen, the video finished playing about five minutes ago,” Steve said heavily. 

“Oh sorry,” Tony replied, but didn’t make any more effort to pull himself out of his own thoughts. 

Watching the screen again, it wasn’t the same. This time he could see himself as well as Loki. He could notice the changes, he could see his own fear, he could mark the points where his brain was working on a new plan, a new angle that he could go from. He watched as the realisation struck that this wasn’t Loki and his eyes glazed over as soon as Loki, or whoever it was, vanished without a trace. 

After the screen went black, he didn’t say a word, only stared. Every single awful thought was hitting him at once and it was very safe to say that it was overwhelming. He had guessed that Loki was still there, locked inside, and he had spoken to him, he had told him to fight. That was the point that the Loki in front of him had started to panic and look as though he was in pain, and then he had vanished. He hoped that wherever Loki was now, the real Loki, he had managed to fight his way out and reclaim his own body. He hoped that he was on his way home. 

“Look, this is probably the worst time ever to bring this up,” Clint said, then hesitated glancing over at Natasha who huffed but didn’t object to him speaking. “But, on that video, you said you loved Loki.” 

“Yeah, and?” Tony said, looking over at him. 

“Well umm...err...well I didn’t know that.” 

“Seriously, we’re doing this now? I don’t care if you didn’t know, I don’t care if you did know. I don’t care if you like it, I don’t care if you hate it. It won’t change anything.” 

“I wasn’t going to say anything like that,” Clint protested. “What I was going to say was that...well...I’m glad. I’m happy for you two, you’re good together...I might even stretch to saying you’re great together and...” 

His words trailed off as he met Tony’s gaze and saw the sadness and worry in his friends eyes. 

“Thanks,” Tony muttered sincerely before walking out the room into his bedroom. 

Natasha rounded on Clint but he interrupted her before she could say anything. “Look, don’t get all pissy at me. It was a nice thing to say and he was grateful. I know it was a bad time but I think it will be the only time. If Loki doesn’t come back soon, that man is going to be a mess and we need to be here for him.” 

“I wasn’t going to get pissed at you Clint,” Natasha said. “It was a lovely thing to say I was just shocked that it was you saying it.” 

“Aww thanks, I love the confidence you have in me.” 

She leant forward and kissed him briefly on the cheek. “And you’re right, we need to be here for him.” 

They all nodded and murmured agreements but no one said anything more, what could they say? 

WWWWWWWWWW 

_He was flying, spinning out of control. Suddenly it stopped, everything went still. All that he could hear was his own quickened breath. He looked around him but saw nothing so took a few tentative steps. The sound of his feet hitting the grey floor echoed around him, bouncing off the invisible walls. Everywhere was grey, everywhere was empty._

 _“It’s lovely to see you again, properly.”_

 _

Loki whipped around and was met with the grinning face of Thanos. 

“I can’t say the same about you.” 

“Oh little Loki, stop this hate. Remember, at one point you worshipped me, you did everything I told you to do without question-“ 

“I also killed innocents and had no control over my own mind,” Loki retorted, pacing up and down. 

“It never bothered you before,” Thanos said. 

Loki snorted but didn’t respond. He continued to walk up and down in short lines, retracing his own steps over and over again. Was this real? It felt real but where was there a place that was just grey. There was nothing else around him except for Thanos, and there was no other sound apart from his footsteps and his breathing. Was this inside his head? Did that mean it wasn’t real? This definitely felt real. 

“You seem troubled, Loki, why not tell me what’s wrong?” 

He glanced up glared at Thanos. “Oh it’s nothing, you know, there’s just someone living in my head and possessing me but it’s not a big deal.” 

“Come now, sarcasm really doesn’t suit you.” 

The anger inside Loki rose up and burst through the surface before he could even think about what he was doing. But even if he had had time he would have done the exact same thing. He lunged at Thanos and they both went tumbling to the ground. For a few seconds they were a mess of flailing limbs and misplaced kicks until Thanos vanished and reappeared a few metres away. 

“Really, must we fight like animals...I’d rather fight like god’s,” He said, twisting his hands round fast and drawing a ball of fire from nowhere. 

He gave Loki no warning before he threw it but luckily the black haired god’s reflexes were perfect and he dodged out the way with minimal effort. Quickly, he made a similar pattern with his hands and produced a sphere or glittering gas that, when it made contact with Thanos, exploded and surrounded him. 

When it cleared Thanos was left on his knees, panting hard with one hand resting on the ground for support. 

“Was that godly enough for you?” Loki asked, as he walked towards him. 

“You have your magic back,” Thanos said, looking up at him. “I’m glad, I always admired your skill.” 

Loki laughed breathily. “Flattery won’t help you.” 

“You can’t kill me little Loki.” 

“We’ll see.” 

He then drew his fist back, magic swirling round it in thick clouds that couldn’t be determined as solid, liquid or gas, and pushed it forward, the magic flying away from his hand and making contact with Thanos at lightning speed. Thanos let out a muffled sound of pain before he collapsed to the floor, limp and unmoving. 

Taking a shaky breath, Loki made to bend down and check for a pulse. But just as he made to do so, Thanos vanished, as though blown away in a breeze. However there was no wind and it was impossible for him to just vanish. 

Loki looked around himself in panic, believing he would just appear again and hit him from behind. Soon his head started hurting. The pain grew and grew until it was overwhelming and then everything imploded and he felt like he was rising up and expanding outwards. Then everything was black. 

“You can’t get rid of me little Loki, I’m a part of you. Remember I’m coming. I have found you and now I’m coming to claim you.”

_

He blinked once, twice, and squinted at the bright light that was attacking his eyes. Pushing himself into a sitting position, Loki stared around him and was utterly shocked by what he saw. He was on a beach, a very small and totally deserted beach that the tide was lapping at languidly. The sun wasn’t too high in the sky meaning that it was late morning and birds flew overhead, calling out to one another and occasionally swooping down to peck at something on the sand. 

Climbing to his feet, Loki dusted some of the sand off himself and took another look around him. He definitely didn’t recognise this place. He thought back and realised that he had no idea of how he had gotten here. He remembered everything that had just happened, but it felt more like a dream than reality. 

Before giving it another thought, he made up his mind of what to do. Closing his eyes tightly, he teleported back to the Avengers tower. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

He materialized in the centre of the living room. No one was around and it was totally silent. Then he heard distant footsteps and a second later Tony appeared and threw himself at Loki, wrapping his arms around him and clinging on tightly. 

“W-what happened?” Loki gasped breathlessly. 

“You’ve been gone for almost a week. I’ve been going out of my head.” Tony drew back quickly and hit him hard on the arm. “Why the fuck would you do that to me?” 

“What? How? I can only remember some hazy things that I think were a dream and then I woke up on some beach. I came straight back. How can I have been gone for a week, I don’t remember anything.” 

“You’re back, that’s all that matters,” Tony whispered, pulling him close again. 

This time Loki responded to the gesture and put his arms around Tony, holding him as he rested his head in the crook of the god’s neck. He pressed soft kisses along the skin that he traced with his lips, drawing a line of goose bumps from Loki’s shoulder up to the corner of his mouth that Tony soon attacked with the gentleness he had been using the whole time. Loki let out a soft gasp of appreciation. 

It had been a week, well almost a week if he was being precise, since he had seen Tony. Though it felt like he had been gone for a shorter amount of time he had still felt a sense of loss without him near. The genius had become like a drug and if he didn’t get his daily dose then his cravings would attack his body and cause his thoughts to muddle and his days to feel meaningless. He supposed this was what love did to someone. Having never experienced it before, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to feel but right now it felt good. He was back. He was with Tony and things finally felt right again. 

They didn’t move for some time, just standing in the middle of the room, wrapped around one another. Soon, though, Loki felt incredibly weary and moved away to sit down. He pulled Tony along by the hand and just relocated on one of the sofas. 

“So everything’s good again, you’re alright now,” Tony asked hesitantly, not looking up into Loki’s face. He didn’t want to see the possible concern or confusion that was most likely there. 

“I believe so,” Loki replied, not knowing what his genius was referring to but finding it best not to question. 

He let his head drop back as he shut his eyes. He was extremely tired and his body ached. Assuming it was from his excursion to the beach, he didn’t question it. He didn’t even register the dull ache in his head that had just started up again. It had happened so often recently that it felt like a part of him. He felt no different from normal. 

“Loks? Babe?” 

“Hmm,” Loki mumbled, his eyelids fluttering open. 

It had only taken a short time for him to fall into a deep sleep but that got interrupted by Tony, who was now tapping his arm lightly and saying his name. 

“You were muttering stuff and you started like thrashing so I thought it would be better to wake you.” 

“Okay, thankyou.” He didn’t remember if he had even had a dream or not, whether it was bad or not didn’t matter. But he was awake now. 

Tony watched the god and a soft smile crept onto his lips. He was back. The thought was really starting to sink in and he was relieved that he hopefully would never have to go through such pain and worry again. Oh how wrong he was. 

_“Hello little Loki, did you have a nice nap?”_

Loki sat bolt upright as panic flooded through him. No. No, this couldn’t be happening. 

“You alright?” 

“No, no not again. I can’t do this again.” 

“What? Loki, no, what’s happening again?” 

“Th-the voices, I remember. He is here, he is a part of me.” 

This time it was Tony’s turn to be flooded with panic. It was happening again and he could do nothing to stop it. He could already feel Loki slipping away from him. Second after second, a little bit more fell away. 

“Loki, Loki, listen to me. You have to calm down, we can get you help...everything will be okay.” 

“No no no,” Loki moaned. “You can’t help me. I-I have to go, I have to get away from here.” 

He got to his feet and made to run but didn’t know where to go. There was nowhere to go. Tony hurried forward and put his hands out in front of him, effectively blocking Loki’s path if he tried to go anywhere. 

_“You know you can’t run. I’m inside your head. Wherever you go, I follow.”_

“Leave me alone!” 

_“No.”_

“Loki I can’t leave you alone. I’m too worried about you,” Tony said, thinking the god’s words were aimed at him. 

“Please, please, I beg you to leave me alone,” Loki cried. 

“But, I can’t,” Tony whispered. 

_“See you’re wrecking everything without me.”_

“Shut up, SHUT UP!” 

Though he would never say it now or in the future but his heart was breaking. It was shattering into tiny pieces that he believed could never be patched back together. Seeing Loki like this, so scared and vulnerable, so unlike himself, it was too much. Tony believed he was the only one that could fix his heart but right now that seemed impossible. 

Loki was so confused. His head as swimming and it ached so much. All he could hear was Thanos, his words echoing around his brain. His vision was fuzzy and he only caught faint images of Tony looking desperate and mouthing words that he could not comprehend. The world felt like it was collapsing around him. 

Some minutes passed and the silenced that had formed grew. Loki’s mind began to clear and he could see properly again and his hearing came back, allowing him to listen to everything Tony was saying. 

“Loki, Loki, listen to me.” 

“I’m listening to you,” He replied, meeting Tony’s eyes with his own. 

“Well thank fucking god for that, it felt like I was talking to a brick wall. What the hell happened?” 

“I, err...I have to go.” 

“What?” 

“I have to leave.” 

To prove he was being serious, he walked towards the lift even though he could just teleport out using his magic. 

“But, Loki, you can’t. There’s something wrong with you-“ 

“Don’t you think I know that?” Loki shouted, rounding on Tony. The genius flinched slightly at his tone and it made Loki’s face and voice soften. “I’m sorry I can’t say more but you have to trust me, do you trust me?” 

“I...Yes, yes of course I trust you.” 

“Then please don’t try to stop me.” 

Tony followed him to the door of the lift that slid open a few seconds later. 

He took a breath then asked, “Where are you going?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Don’t you trust me?” Tony asked quietly. 

“I trust you Anthony but I am telling the truth, I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t even know what I’m doing. I have no idea what to do.” 

“Then why are you leaving?” 

“Because I must, it is the best option.” 

“For who, you? Because I know it’s the fucking worst option for me. I will go crazy without you, I’ll always be worrying, always be trying to find you.” 

“Trust me, I will be fine.” 

“Whatever,” He muttered. 

Loki looked at him pleadingly but he stared resolutely at the hardwood floor, refusing to meet his gaze. 

“Please don’t make this harder than it is.” 

“Make it harder! Fuck, you’re the one going by choice. You don’t give a fuck and yet you’re telling me not to make it harder. Look if you’re going just go.” 

“Anthony please-“ 

“No Loki, just go, go on get out,” Tony shouted, pointing at the lift that was still waiting for someone to enter it. 

The god opened his mouth to protest but closed it when he saw Tony’s expression. It screamed hate and anger that was really a cover for the hurt and sadness that he was feeling. Not being able to look at him a second longer, Loki turned around and entered the lift. The doors slid shut immediately and he disappeared from view. 

Just as they shut he turned around and opened his mouth to say something but it was too late. The lift was moving, leaving Tony behind on the top floor. 

“I love you,” He whispered, staring down at the ground. 

If only he had said it while he had had the chance. He didn’t think he would ever have that chance again. 

The lift stopped in the foyer. He stepped out and walked briskly out into the open air of Manhattan, leaving behind the only life that he had ever wished to keep. 

When he was at a safe distance from the tower, he turned down a side alley that no one seemed interested in. He closed his eyes and began to form the magic that would allow him to teleport. Just as he began to vanish he felt a familiar presence. Then he caught the faint whiff that could only mean one thing. In seconds the whiff became a stench and it was already too late. He felt himself being dragged away from his destination, instead flying towards an unknown location. 

The Chitauri had found him at last, just like Thanos had promised.


	24. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter for two weeks now because I'm going on holiday to a place with NO WIFI!!! Hopefully when I get back there will be more chapters ready for you to enjoy...Also thankyou for all the comments so far, I appreciate them all!

# Chapter 23

He could honestly say he didn’t give a fuck to what was going on. Fury was rambling and raging and just generally berating them all for not warning him earlier about Loki. As soon as it had happened, Loki leaving again, Tony had alerted them and they had all agreed that the next step was to inform the director. Obviously he had not taken the news well but managed, through his anger, to get as many people as he could spare from S.H.I.E.L.D on the case, looking for the god. 

Tony couldn’t bring himself to explain it to Fury so he had let the others tell the story as best they could. At times they didn’t have all the details and looked to him to fill in the gaps but he was never much help, only being there in body but not in mind. 

Having no plans to join in on any of the discussions or any of the question asking, Tony had given up and zoned out. Something Fury said, though, brought him back to reality faster than he would have liked. At one point he had been floating in his own thoughts, coming up with his own plans and conclusions, when the director spoke and he was immediately flooded with overwhelming anger. 

“So he did turn out to be just as crazy as we thought, at least we might not have to keep him anymore.” 

“He’s not an animal,” Tony shouted suddenly, making everybody jump. “And who are you to say if he is crazy or not. You don’t know anything about him or what has happened. He is in serious trouble and you can do nothing but poke fun and be glad he’s gone.” 

“Tony please-“ Steve began but got interrupted. 

“No fuck this, I’m out.” 

And next second that’s what he was, out. He was outside the meeting room and off up the corridor. He turned the first corner he saw and stopped dead. Leaning back against the wall, he sunk to the floor and buried his face in his hands. He wasn’t there for long before he heard footsteps coming his way and a few seconds later the feet of Cap came into view. 

“Tony?” He said, tentatively. 

“Yeah, what’s up? Don’t tell me, Fury is about to throw me out the building or fire me off the Avengers.” 

“Don’t be stupid, he would never risk losing you on the team. Just don’t ever expect him to admit it.” Tony chuckled in spite of how much he really didn’t feel like it. Steve smiled too but when the silence stretched on he spoke up again. “Look Tony,” He said quietly. “I know you’re stressed and I know you’re hurting and I also know that Fury is being stupid but you’ve got to get past that. You care for Loki, you won’t stop until he’s found and neither will I. I’ll help you as much as I can and so will the others but you need to understand that it will be harder for us, we don’t know him like you do. Just don’t get too worked up at us, we’ll do our best to help but be prepared that it might not be enough.” 

He finished and just sat there, watching Tony as he processed what he had just said. He hoped that it had come out the way he had intended but there was always a possibility that he had said the totally wrong thing and made matters so much worse. 

As he stood up to walk back to the meeting room, where the others still remained, he felt something touch his arm. Steve looked down and was surprised to see Tony’s outstretched hand holding him back. 

“Thankyou,” The genius said. 

Steve smiled at him and took his hand, pulling him to his feet. “So...back to the meeting? Just promise not to punch Fury.” 

“I’ll try my best to refrain from it.” 

“That’s all I’m asking for,” Steve laughed, walking back to the meeting room next to Tony who, despite worrying immensely about Loki, now felt hope because he knew he wasn’t alone in this. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The pain Loki could live with, after all he had suffered much worse. It was more the taunting remarks and snide comments that had him fuming and ready to let some blood flow free, preferably not his own. He just had to contain his anger for now, the Chitauri would pay. He would make sure of that. 

He could easily say that the worst moment had been when the Chitauri had told the truth about Thanos. They had thrown him into the darkest cell they could ever come up with and had locked the door with more than just a bolt. Chains held him against the far wall that dripped with liquids that were definitely not all water. The chains were tight and cut into his skin every time he moved. The scabs that managed to form were only rubbed off again when the chains were removed because he was being taken out of the cell. 

On one of these occasions they had ripped the chains from his wrists and thrown him out the door into the waiting clutches of another Chitauri. They had laughed as he stumbled to the floor and kicked him hard when he tried to stand so he went falling back to the ground again. 

“Your master won’t be happy with you if he knows what you’re doing. He wants me alive.” 

“Master?” One of the Chitauri said. “What master?” 

“Thanos,” Loki replied, tasting the foulness in his mouth as he spat the name. 

He was surprised when the Chitauri exchanged glances then promptly burst out laughing. Their laughter echoed off the walls, of what Loki had identified as a cave, and made his skin crawl. 

“Care to share the joke?” 

“Our Master is dead, your little mortal friends made sure of that. We are the last Chitauri, we managed to escape the explosion. We alone stayed true to his wishes and will make you suffer for your insolence and betrayal.” 

And that’s the moment the world came crashing down around Loki. For a few days he had had hope. He had had the hope that they couldn’t harm him too much, that their torture would just be pathetic attempts to cause pain because Thanos would be waiting for him on a ship far away in another universe that would take a while to get to. He had hoped that in that time Tony and the other avengers would be able to find him and rescue him. That’s also the moment he remembered how his and Tony’s last conversation had gone. Well it had barely been a conversation, more just a shouting match that had ended with himself walking out and subsequently to his doom while Tony was left with nothing but the hope that perhaps Loki would return. 

Standing back on his feet, Loki held his head high and gave no reaction to what was just said. He pretended like the words had not affected him or caused him to fall lower than he ever thought possible, even lower then when he fell from the rainbow bridge. 

He was pushed forward again and forced to walk as the Chitauri holding him, guided him down the already familiar path to where they had set up a little alcove in the cave that was dedicated to causing him pain. 

The chains that still squeezed his wrists were tugged upwards and fastened above his head so only his toes brushed against the hard cold ground. His ankles were fastened together in more chains that made it even harder to keep his balance. Blood gently ran down his arm from where the chains had rubbed his wrists. He watched as it made a trail past his elbow and down to his straining shoulders. Sighing, he rested his head against his arm and waited for the pain to begin. 

Without warning a whip slashed across his back, reopening the wounds that had managed to heal from the last time. He winced but made no noise. If this was all they had then he would be fine. The pain was sharp but faded fast, turning into a dull ache that he could live with quite easily. The next lash came fast and ended much the same as the last. His blood began to flow free. He felt it streaming down his back, as he lost count of how many times the whip connected with his skin. 

When he still showed no sign of suffering any pain, the Chitauri grew angry. Only one was performing the punishment but a couple of the others stayed to watch for their own enjoyment. But they were all growing tired of getting nothing more than a few gasps or grunts. They wanted a show. They wanted pain. They wanted screaming and crying and begging for mercy. They wanted to reduce Loki to the thing that wasn’t even worthy of their acknowledgment, to be a thing so small and insignificant that people could walk over it and not care if it screamed out in agony. He deserved this after everything he had done. 

The Chitauri with the whip stepped back and spoke quietly with one of the others. Loki didn’t bother trying to listen, it was too much effort and all he wanted to do was rest. But he wasn’t given much time for that because a second later the whip met skin again. This time it was agony and had Loki’s vision fading out to black. A loud gasp and then a growl escaped from his throat as he twisted to see what had just caused him that pain. 

“I’m sorry, did that hurt our little prince?” A Chitauri said, mocking him with every word. 

“Mmm I believe it tickled,” Loki replied through gritted teeth. 

“We’ll soon have to change that then.” 

And the whipping continued. He didn’t remember how long it went on for. He didn’t remember when he started to scream. He didn’t remember when he started to call out for Tony. He only remembered waking up back in his cell in a pool of his own blood and his body aching so much that all he could do was shift his legs closer and hug them to try and preserve some body heat. 

Shivers began to rake through his body and he wished more than anything that Tony was there. No matter how irritating his comments could be, no matter how frustrating his habits could be, Loki wished that Tony was there. Or rather that he was with Tony. That would mean that he would be safe and away from any more pain, away from the whips endued with magic and away from the Chitauri. But that would also mean that what happened between Tony and himself had never happened, that they hadn’t argued and hadn’t left their relationship like that. If Loki was honest with himself now, if he ever saw Tony again, he knew there would be no relationship. He had made sure of that. He didn’t deserve Tony. 

That was the last thought on his mind as unconsciousness claimed him again. All physical pain forgotten, just the pain in his heart remained that reminded him he had messed up the only good thing he had ever had. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

It had been weeks now since Loki had disappeared and Tony was beginning to give up hope. If the god didn’t want to be found he was sure that they would not find him. S.H.I.E.L.D had been working flat out in their search but had come up with absolutely nothing. No clues. Nothing. 

Rubbing his forehead wearily, Tony entered his tower and went straight up to the top floor. On the way he loosened his tie and pulled it off his neck and held it by his side, running it occasionally through his fingers. He had just come back from a meeting that Pepper had set up for Stark industries. She thought it would help keep his mind off other matters but really it just bored him so much that his mind was forced to come up with other alternatives to engage him that always ended with Loki. Where is he? Is he okay? Does he need help? Does he miss him too? 

He collapsed onto one of his sofas and let himself relax into the soft cushions. It had been a tiring day. Now all he wanted to do was sleep. 

“Jarv, dim the lights,” He said, glancing up to the ceiling where his AI lay in wait for instruction. 

Nothing happened. 

“Jarv? Jarvis, you there?” He asked, sitting up and attempting to pull up one of Jarvis’s screens. 

Still nothing happened. He started to feel slightly unnerved. There couldn’t be a virus or anything corrupting his systems because Tony would have been alerted and Jarvis was so advanced he could sort out any problem without too much trouble. But now there was nothing. It was as though he had just disappeared. Or something was blocking him. 

He thought the best option was to head to his workshop and see if he could fix whatever the problem was so that is what he did. Struggling to his feet, he plodded slowly towards the flight of stairs that led to his workshop. If his senses hadn’t been dulled with fatigue he would have heard the footsteps and felt the rush of air and changing in temperature. However his reaction came too late. As he spun to meet this unknown presence, he was hit hard on the back of the head and collapsed to the floor and into darkness. 

He blinked once, twice, trying to clear his head that was pounding. His fingers brushed over the back of it and he winced as he pressed lightly on the lump that had formed there. Then he shivered. Preoccupied at first, Tony hadn’t bothered to take in his new surroundings but now he searched them as best he could in the suffocating gloom. It was freezing. So cold that he could see small clouds every time he took a breath. The ground was hard and damp. Damp from what, he didn’t know but he just prayed that it was water. 

The sound of footsteps drew him away from his thoughts. He scanned his close vicinity again. He was in a cage, well a cell, and the bars where made of cool metal and far too close together o be able to squeeze through. He found the lock on the part that was the door and tried unsuccessfully to prise it open. 

“You really believe your feeble attempts will work?” 

Tony stilled, his gaze flitting from corner to corner, trying to place the voice. It was too dark, though, for him to see anything but dense shadow. 

“Why am I here?” He asked steadily. 

“We have use of you. You will be a valuable weapon to us.” 

“I don’t even know who the hell you are. What use could I possibly be to you?” 

The voice paused as though calling for patience. “As I said, you are very valuable.” 

“Oh because that gives so much away. Just give me straight answers, it’s not like I’m going anywhere,” Tony shouted, his voice reverberating off the walls as he gestured at the bars keeping him locked inside. 

“That is true, this cell is built for mortals. For the pathetic and weak and small minded. I highly doubt you would escape and even if you did we would find you.” 

There was threat in the strangers voice but Tony paid little attention. He was not pathetic or weak and all he really wanted to do was show this mystery person exactly what he could do. With or without his iron man suit he could still cause enough pain that this person would take back his words without little resistance. 

His next thought was interrupted by a loud cry of pain followed by a scream that was only muffled by the walls that were obviously separating them. Tony’s body went rigid but his heart increased its rhythm. Panic. The one thing he wished more not to feel. Panic. It would be his undoing. If this mystery person that was keeping guard of him sensed it he would be in trouble. 

The low chuckle of said person made his blood boil. 

“W-who is that?” 

“Oh you’ll soon see,” The person replied and this time he stepped closer and into a small patch of light that allowed Tony to identify him. He was one of the Chitauri. 

He walked right up to the cell and slid a key out from somewhere concealed in his armour. Sliding a key into the lock, he turned it and the mechanism clicked and the door swung open after he gave it a push. 

Two more figures appeared, dragging a third between them. They threw him through the open door and let him fall hard onto the damp ground. A groan of pain was heard but the person didn’t show any other signs of life. 

“Well have fun catching up,” One Chitauri said, directing his words at Tony. Then he turned and walked up to the limp body on the ground. “And you, we’ll be seeing you later.” He kicked the person on the floor hard in the middle of the back before laughing when he made another moan of pain then he left. The door was locked and all three Chitauri vanished along the path that led to where the screams had been heard. 

Once they were safely away and out of ear shot, Tony hurried over and dropped to his knees next to the almost lifeless body. 

“Hey, are you okay?” 

He knew it was a stupid question but he didn’t know what else to say. The man was clearly injured by the noises he had made and how he wasn’t moving and how he was gasping for breath. Tony looked over the body and his eyes landed on the ripped shirt and the red gashes that could only come from a whip. He let out a deep breath slowly to calm himself before he moved closer ready inspect more of the damage. 

Being too immersed in what he was seeing, Tony didn’t notice how the man tensed at the sound of his voice. He only realised something was wrong when the man suddenly came to life and tried to shift away and across to the opposite side of the cell. 

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you anymore. I’m not one of the bad guys, you’re gunna have to trust me,” Tony said in a rush, worried for the man who was clearly in no shape to be moving. 

When his strength gave way and he fell back to the floor, Tony moved forward again to try and help but the man pushed his hands away. 

“Look, I’m just trying to help.” 

“I don’t need your help,” A voice replied and Tony froze in horror. 

Loki took that moment to raise his head and look Tony straight in the eye. And all Tony could do was stare back as every horrible theory he had had about Loki came true in his mind all in the same moment.


	25. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back WOOO! Okay so I hate this chapter, I hated writing it, it took forever and it’s just terrible and I’m sorry. Still, it’s an update so we should all be happy for that :)

# Chapter 24

“L-Loki what, h-how?” Tony stammered, tripping over his words in his haste to get them out. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off Loki, he couldn’t even blink. 

“Take your hands off me,” Loki said evenly, no emotion clouding his words unlike Tony’s, whose were clogged up with emotion that could not be contained or controlled. 

Loki tried to move again but the pain was too intense that he collapsed back to the ground with a hiss. Everything ached. His bones burned and his head protested against all thought and yet he had to fight through the pain. Tony was here. Tony had been caught too. Tony was in danger and it was all his fault. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known this was coming. 

Even amongst all the pain he felt from his body, Loki thought that the thing that hurt was most the expression on Tony’s face as he told him to leave him alone. He looked so confused and scared. He’d never seen Tony looking so vulnerable before and it broke his heart. It was necessary though. The Chitauri might believe they have someone important to him but he could always try and fool them. By pushing Tony away, by acting like he meant nothing or hated him then perhaps they might think he was of no use and let Tony go. It wouldn’t work but he had to try. 

“No, no Loki I can’t do that,” Tony said, not moving from his side. “I...I have to try and help.” 

“There is nothing you can do. Leave me,” Loki repeated but his attempts at harshness were wearing away. He was too tired to fight. It was only a minute more and then he was unconscious, the pain and the fatigue becoming too much for his body to take. Without his magic, he hardly stood a chance. 

“Loki...Loki?” Tony said, watching as the tension in Loki’s body melted away as he fell into a deep sleep. 

He wasn’t sure what to do after that. If they had been at the tower Tony would have taken him to his bed and set him down carefully before checking his wounds. There was no chance of doing that now. One because of the poor lighting, two because he wasn’t sure how bad the damage was and he didn’t want to hurt Loki more and three because he didn’t want to wake the god. By the looks of him, he needed as much sleep as he could get. There was no chance either of setting him down comfortably. The floor was rock hard and freezing. There was nothing in the cell that made the floor any more comfortable so Tony was resigned to just leaving Loki where he had dropped and just watched him to make sure he was okay as he could be. 

As he sat there on the cold floor next to Loki, Tony thought about what he had said. Loki had told him to not help, to let him go, to leave him alone and he didn’t understand why. He knew the god had this massive pride thing where he never wanted to look weak or pitiful but this was an entire different kettle of fish. Loki was being tortured and had been now for almost a month, he was battered, bruised and scarred. Now Tony was here, for reasons that still weren’t clear to him, and was trying to help and Loki would have none of it. Even the strongest sometimes need help and support. Why couldn’t Loki accept his? 

Why was Tony here anyway? Not that he would want to be anywhere else right now unless Loki was with him. He would rather live through hell with Loki than live a peaceful life without him. That sounded very deep from Tony which scared him slightly. He really hadn’t known how much he loved Loki until they had been separated. 

“Is our little prince sleeping? Needs to keep his strength up, you never know when he might need it.” 

Tony heard the voice and winced. Not from the surprise of it but because of the horrible throaty rasp that came with every word. It was painful to listen to. 

“What do you want with him?” 

“He has his uses. He gives a very good show, nice entertainment for the boring times. It will be a shame to say goodbye to him. I think I might actually miss him.” 

“You are some fucked up piece of shit, you know that! When I get out of here I’m gunna find you and kill you myself.” 

“I highly doubt that,” The Chitauri chuckled, his laughter even more painful to listen to as it echoed off the walls. “You’ll be meeting your end long before Loki. You are mortal, it will be easy to break you, both in body and mind. Unfortunately, no matter how much magic we strip from our god here, he still remains immortal. Only very high magic will be able to remove it and being stuck on this doomed planet means we cannot perform such spells.” 

“So you’re stuck here?” Tony asked. If he was to die soon then he thought he might as well get as much information as he could. Or, on the other hand, if he were to escape soon then he would need all the information he could acquire so he would stand the best chance of remaining free. 

“For the time being, yes, but we have no plans to remain here permanently.” 

“How are you stuck, though? You’re supposed to be all magical and important yet you can’t even get yourself off a planet full of worthless mortals.” 

“I would not say you are all worthless. You certainly have your uses or will do anyway.” The Chitauri paused and looked at Tony through the darkness with a wicked grin on his scaly face. “But no, it is not your doing that we are stuck here. To start with, it was our orders to stay. When Loki led our army down to your planet, a group of use slipped your notice. We managed to conceal ourselves from you in this cave and it is where we have stayed ever since. We observed your life, we watched as Loki was brought back to live here. We bided our time before we started to take Loki’s mind. It took a lot of our power to create those delusions from such a distance away and so it made us weak. It took even more power to bring him here and bind him and then we had to bring you too. We must replenish our energy before we can leave. Our ships are in another galaxy and it will take time to get there.” 

“I thought we destroyed you all.” 

“Ah yes your bomb that you fired at our ships which killed our leader. That was most of our race but some stayed behind awaiting orders to move in. They obviously never came because everyone else was destroyed. I assume they are still awaiting our command.” 

Tony listened to every word, surprised by how easily the Chitauri was speaking. Did they want him to know this stuff? Were they lying to him to try and fool him? Did they think that he would try to escape? 

Loki made a noise from where he lay on the floor and it drew Tony’s attention. He edged a little closer, so as not to crowd the god if he woke, but still be close enough to make sure he was alright. In a way Tony didn’t want him to wake up, at least not yet. He didn’t want to see the emotionless expressions or hear the words that told him to leave and not help. How could Loki think he wouldn’t help? 

The Chitauri that he had been speaking to watched his movements around Loki. Watched as he edged closer, watched as he checked his injuries, watched as he moved away again but still not too far. Though the two weren’t aware, the Chitauri had been hiding in the shadows as they had been reunited. They had heard Loki turn Tony’s help away. They also knew it was fake. 

“Why do you care for him so much?” The Chitauri asked curiously. 

“That’s none of your fucking business,” Tony shot back. 

“Hmm well actually it is, see because he is pretending now like you mean nothing to him. I just wondered if that were true. Do you mean nothing to him?” 

“How am I supposed to know?” 

“Because I have information that says that you do mean something to him,” The Chitauri said slowing, letting a smile curl over his lips into a sneer. 

“Oh really, how nice,” Tony said, pretending to not be interesting in anything being said. 

“Yes...yes it was nice. Very nice indeed, listening to him shout for you. He screamed for you. Screamed and screamed until his voice was all but gone,” The Chitauri said in a sing song voice. 

He glanced back down at Loki then looked up at the thing that was cackling to himself. He felt sick. These creatures were sick. They found entertainment in torture, thought the sounds of screaming was like music to their ears and loved that Loki was calling out for help. 

“Fuck off alright, just get the fuck away from us!” Tony shouted. 

“I’ll be back later,” The Chitauri laughed, walking off further into the cave. 

Tony was left alone, panting from all the rage coursing through his veins. A wave of sudden tiredness washed over him and, though he tried hard to fight it, it was too strong and he soon found himself lying down next to Loki on the hard stone floor. His eyes fluttered closed and he was soon asleep. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Pepper walked through the foyer of the Avengers tower, her high heels clicking as she picked up the pace. She had phoned Tony five times and got no reply. After the third unanswered call, she had left voicemails that also had not been answered. Expecting to find him far too engrossed in some project or else having some ‘alone time’ with Loki, she had decided to go round herself and drag the genius out. If he had forgotten this meeting she was going to skin him alive. He better have a good excuse for this, she thought to herself as the lift arrived and transported her to the top floor. When the doors slid open, she marched out into the living room, depositing the folder she had brought along on the coffee table. 

“JARVIS where’s Tony?” She asked loudly, expecting an immediate response. 

The actual reply came later than she thought was normal and when it did it was not what she expected. 

“Sir’s whereabouts cannot be identified. My systems have been severely affected by unknown energies and I am unable to access many areas.” 

“What? Is this a trick just so I’ll get off his back?” Pepper laughed. 

“No Miss Potts.” 

Okay so something was definitely wrong. JARVIS wasn’t working properly and she guessed it had been going on for a while because of how uninformed he was. Also Tony was missing and there was no way to access the footage of the tower to check for any unusualness. The last time she had spoken to Tony was almost a week ago. Had he been missing all that time? If he had then she would have expected an alert from JARVIS but if the AI was malfunctioning then he would never have sent out a message. 

There was a second pause and then Pepper had her phone out and she was dialling all of the Avenger’s numbers. She needed them here now. They needed to know what’s happened and she needed to know if they had any more information like if they had seen Tony after the last time she had. That would give an indication of the time frame that he had been missing. 

In no time at all they were all gathered together and all up to date with the new information. Fury left first, needing to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D and report everything and get more people working on the case. Two were now missing. Loki, the Norse god, who was sent to live on Earth and Tony, the billionaire, who was famous in every corner of the world. He would definitely be missed if he wasn’t found soon. 

Clint and Natasha were the next to leave. After sharing some of their thoughts and consoling Pepper, they agreed that she needed a drink and were soon heading for the lift to go somewhere that sold alcohol. Steve then said his goodbyes, wanting to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D himself so he could see what was going on and to try and help if and where possible. That left just Bruce and Thor alone. 

The thunder god was slumped against the kitchen island and looked to be in a world of his own. He was pale and just seemed smaller than usual. Bruce walked up to him and laid a hand on his arm. 

“It will be alright, we will find them.” 

“You believe so?” Thor asked, moving shakily and sitting down on one of the stools. 

“Yeah I do. Tony is a stubborn bastard, he won’t give up fighting easily. Wherever he is, he will give them hell. Loki is your brother, he’s a god, and if he is with Tony then he will be okay and even if he’s not then I’m sure he will still be fine. He’s smart and strong. There’s nothing to worry about,” Bruce said consolingly. 

“Then why do I still feel worry?” 

“It’s only natural. I’m worried too but I have hope for them. They’ll come back or we’ll find them.” 

Thor kicked moodily at the edge of the island but didn’t seem to be bothered by the pain that would have come if he had been mortal. 

“I am to return to Asgard for a few days,” He said, breaking the long silence that had formed. “Although I do not want to go, I must ask the Allfather if he has seen anything that could be of use.” 

“That’s fine, just come back quickly.” 

“I will do my best but it will grieve my mother to learn of these events. I have put off this moment for a while now and I cannot put it off anymore. My parents must be told that Loki and the man of iron are missing.” 

“They know about Tony?” Bruce asked, surprised. 

“Yes they have been told about their relationship and they are both happy that Loki has managed to find someone that cares for him. I am happy also but it was a surprise.” 

“You don’t say,” Bruce laughed. “I still can’t believe they got together. I know Tony can have strange taste but your brother, no offence.” 

Thor smiled and huffed out a laugh. “I quite agree with you. It was a very strange turn of events.” 

It was not that much longer that Thor left for Asgard. He asked Bruce to notify Fury about his departure. He didn’t tell the director beforehand because he thought that he would try to stop him from leaving. But this was too urgent to put off anymore. He needed to know everything. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

He awoke to the sounds of heavy, laboured breaths. Sitting up, Tony’s eyes struggled to see anything through the surrounding gloom. A shadow shifted against the wall behind him and he knew it could only be one person. 

“You’re awake,” Loki stated, his voice hoarser than Tony remembered. 

“So are you,” Tony replied. 

“Did you sleep well?” 

Tony scoffed. “You seem more talkative.” 

“I don’t believe ignoring you will work, it hasn’t in the past,” Loki replied, wrapping his arms around himself and wincing. 

“Oh so we’re actually admitting that we know eachother now. I suppose the laws about me touching and helping you are still in place.” Tony didn’t mean to get angry but he felt it too strongly. 

“I thought it was best.” 

“Best? Best! Best for who? They never believed you for a second when you tried to pass off that there was nothing between us.” 

“I...I know but...” Loki’s voice trailed away as the Chitauri that Tony had spoken to yesterday appeared outside their cell. 

“You ready for another round?” He chuckled, unlocking the cell and dragging Loki to his feet. 

Tony got up and tried to stop him from taking Loki. By the end he was shouting at him to stop but all the Chitauri did was laugh. Before Tony knew it had happened it was already done. He had been struck hard across the face and had fallen backwards onto the cold stone. The cell was locked and Loki was gone. Tony was left alone in the darkness. 

It wasn’t that much longer when he heard sounds. Sounds that he could only associate with pain. It was at least another hour or two until he heard the first screams. At first he associated them with gasps of pain but soon they were developed into ear-splitting, soul wrenching cries that forced their way into Tony’s head and made that place their home. He didn’t know how long they lasted. He just remembered when they stopped. The silence was deafening. 

Loki was brought back, unconscious and broken. Tony sat beside him, wishing that he could help but there was nothing he could do. Moving him would only cause more pain and there was no way he could treat any of the wounds. He was left in the eerie silence, hoping against hope that none of his injuries were infected and that his immortality would protect him. He also prayed that someone was searching for them, that someone was working against all odds to bring them both home. He had to hope. He had nothing else but that.


	26. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a chapter and tomorrow is my brithday, that's pretty great right?! There are around 8 chapters left of this fic, give or take one or two just to let you know. Please enjoy and comment if you feel like it :)

# Chapter 25

He was swallowed up into Bifrost and seconds later materialized on the rainbow bridge. Heimdall stood with his back to him and didn’t say a word as he appeared. He didn’t even acknowledge his presence. Thor set off quickly down the bridge. He knew he could easily use Mjolnir to fly there and it would be a hell of a lot quicker but he preferred to take the slower way. The time he had between now and reaching the palace was important. He needed to figure out exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to go about saying it. 

But when he reached the palace every thought he had had raced from his mind until he was left with nothing except the directions to the hall he needed. Once he reached the doors, he pushed them open wide and continued forward, not caring at all about the sudden silence that came with him entering. 

“Allfather I must speak with you immediately,” He shouted, looking up into his father’s one eye. 

“Now is not the time Thor, I am busy,” Odin replied. 

Thor looked around the large hall and at all the assembled Aesir but didn’t seem fazed. “This is urgent.” 

“By your manner I can see that but I am in a meeting. Wait outside.” It was not a suggestion, it was an order, an order that the thunder god paid no attention to. 

“Your council can wait, your family cannot,” Thor said defiantly. 

The Aesir began to whisper and mutter to eachother. Thor suspected that they were commenting on how he was an insolent child and was definitely not ready to sit on Asgard’s throne. Their words meant little to him at that moment. His last words seemed to have stirred something inside Odin and he looked fuming. 

“I am not instructing you as your father, I am ordering you as your king. Leave this hall, I will deal with you later.” Thor opened his mouth to protest again. “If you do not I will have the guards remove you themselves.” 

Glaring at his father, Thor spun on his heels and marched out of the hall. The doors were shut firmly and he was left to wait outside while the meeting continued, this time uninterrupted. He paced back and forth more times than he could count. It started to grow frustrating, he felt like a grandfather clock that just swung from side to side, not meant for anything more. He sighed angrily and flopped back against the wall and slid down it to the floor. He drummed his forehead against his arms that rested atop his knees. 

He raised his head when he heard very hurried footsteps. They grew closer and as they did they got louder and perhaps even faster. A few seconds later his mother rounded the corner. She stopped when she saw him and a wide smile appeared on her red lips. 

“Thor,” She cried. “The guards said that you had arrived home. It’s been so long since I last saw you.” 

He got to his feet and managed a small smile before he was pulled into an embrace. Frigga hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. When she pulled back, she frowned at him. He was her son and she could read him like a book. She knew there was definitely something wrong. 

“What is the matter? Why have you come back so suddenly and why are you choosing to stand outside the council room?” 

“I...er...” Thor hesitated. He really didn’t know how to explain this to his mother. He knew that once he told her of Loki’s, and now Tony’s disappearance, she would go out of her mind with worry. “I came to discuss something with father.” 

Frigga wasn’t convinced by his quick words. “I’ve known you since you were a baby, I cradled you in my arms and rocked you to sleep. I have watched you grow up Thor and I know when something is not right so tell me the truth.” 

“You’re not going to like it at all,” Thor sighed, slumping once again against the wall. 

“I don’t care, please just tell me.” 

And so he told her how Loki vanished and then he came back but then he left again and wasn’t seen since. He said how Tony had gone out of his mind with worry and how he had shown the clips of Loki’s almost breakdowns. The last thing he spoke of was how Tony had now gone missing as well and there was no trace of him anywhere. When Thor was finished he looked over at his mother. She bit her lip and said nothing but her shoulders shook, betraying her sobs that she had tried so hard to hold in. 

“Mother, do not cry, we will find them,” Thor murmured kindly, hugging her again. She latched onto him and wept into his shoulder. 

When she stood straight again her face was tearstained and her hands were shaking. “I...I just wish it wasn’t him Thor. Why is it always Loki? Everything in all the realms seems to be against him and whenever her fights his way into the light, another cloud comes along and he is forced back into darkness. He was even happy with this Tony and now he is gone too. I...I...wish I could just shrink him down, make him a child again so he could spend every waking moment at my side like he used to. I knew he was safe then.” 

“We will find him. We will find both of them. I promise.” He took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly before kissing the top of her head gently. 

She nodded and attempted a watery smile. That was the moment that the doors opened wide behind them and Odin appeared. He walked towards them and just stood and stared at Thor, an unimpressed expression firmly on his face. 

“Would you explain your behaviour back there,” He said. It wasn’t a question. It was an order. 

“Oh Odin please don’t be angry with him, he really needs to talk to you.” 

“I already know Frigga. I know what he wants to talk about.” 

Frigga blanched. “What? You know what has happened to Loki and Tony?” 

“Yes. I am very aware of their situation.” 

“Why haven’t you done anything?” Thor demanded, turning on his father. “Why haven’t you sent word? Why haven’t you tried to help?” 

Odin held up his hand to silence his son and it worked. Thor stared at him angrily but said nothing as he turned to Frigga. He laid a hand on her arm and guided her away. Before he rounded the corner he told Thor to go to his room where he would meet him there soon. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Thor flopped down on his bed and let out a very frustrated sigh. Why did he feel like a child? Why was his father treating him like one? He had just been left on the sidelines to watch as his mother was guided away to be told who knew what lies. How could he not have said he knew? Why was he doing nothing? 

Bringing his hands up to his face, he scrubbed it and sighed again. Why was he doing what he was told? Sitting in his chambers wasn’t going to do any good. He got up to leave but as he got halfway to the door, it opened and Odin entered. He shut the door behind him and then walked forward, stopping a few paces in front of his son. 

“Before you bombard me with all your complaints and questions I will tell you I already know what you will say so it would be best if you just stay quiet.” 

“I don’t believe you know everything I want to say,” Thor said dangerously. 

“Remember who you are talking to Thor,” Odin snapped. “I will answer what you want as long as you remain patient and do not interrupt me. Are we agreed?” 

“Yes,” Thor muttered irritably. 

Odin gestured for Thor to sit down which he did reluctantly. He sat on the very edge of his bed and watched his father lose himself in thought. When it seemed that he had worked out what he wanted to say or where to begin, he blinked then started speaking. Thor leaned in closer, eager to hear what he had to say even though he knew he would not like it. 

“I knew that Loki was missing, I could sense that something was wrong. I can tell you that he was taken by the Chitauri along with your friend, Tony. For now they are both alive but they are in bad shape.” 

Thor sprung to his feet and threw his hands in the air. “What? That’s it? You’re not going to explain anything else, not say where they are? Why aren’t you helping? You haven’t done anything to help save your _son._ I thought he was your _son_ no matter what blood ran through his veins.” 

“I cannot interfere with this Thor, no matter what my instincts are telling me.” 

“Why not?” Thor demanded. 

“Because Loki was banished from Asgard, that is why he was sent to Midgard. It was not only to make penance for what he has done, it was because he was no longer allowed to step foot in our halls. The Aesir do not know of his current situation but it is most likely they will vote not to help anyway. There is no way around our laws and as king I must follow them. Someone who has been banished is beyond our help.” 

“So your duty as a father means nothing?” 

“The duty to our realm-“ 

“I don’t care about our realm,” Thor shouted. Odin jolted in surprise at the anger in his voice. He opened his mouth to silence Thor but the thunder god kept going. “I don’t care about our laws. I don’t care about your duty. He is my brother and he is your son. One of my best friends has also been taken, he has stood beside me against many foes and was also there when we first went against Loki. We didn’t know eachother and yet we fought together. Over time he was the one that brought Loki out of the shell he had hidden himself in, he taught him to feel happiness, to feel worth something and to feel love. Can you tell me those things mean nothing and you would rather stand by your throne than watch all of that progress be wasted? Can you tell me that you would be content to sit by and watch Loki sink back into darkness?” 

“I will never be content with that.” 

“Then why don’t you help?” Odin’s mouth was left hanging open, all words gone. He closed his mouth with a click and just stared at his son. When Thor spoke again his voice was softer. “What you just said were excuses not reasons. Please father, help us.” 

The Allfather just stared at his son, marvelling at how wise he had become. When he had been sent down to Midgard, he had not been the man that he had wanted Thor to grow up to be. He was arrogant, self-centred and was not fit at all to be king of Asgard. But now Odin swelled with pride as he watched his son stand before him and defy him in a way that he never thought possible. Thor had grown up from his young stubborn self and now Odin could truly see the king he was destined to be. 

“I will do my best to help you and your friends,” Odin said quietly, happiness welling in his chest as he saw the hope flood back into Thor’s eyes. 

“Really father?” 

Odin just nodded before setting off for the door. “Work needs to be done and I must go and talk to your mother again, I left her quite hurriedly and she was still very upset.” 

“Shall I meet you in your study?” Thor asked. 

“Yes, I will be there shortly.” 

They both exited Thor’s chambers, Odin went left and Thor headed right. When reaching the end of the corridor, the thunder god descended a flight of stairs and carried on walking until he reached a thick wooden door halfway down another corridor. Sticking his hand inside his pocket, he withdrew a key and fitted it into the lock. The lock clicked and he walked through the door, shutting it behind him. Only Odin and himself had a key for this room which Thor had always found odd. He had been given the key many years ago on a loan to prove he could be trusted. He was only supposed to keep it for a short time but Odin had never asked for it back and he had never been willing to give it up. He had hardly ever needed to enter Odin’s study but it was nice to think that he could if he ever had the urge. Now inside he paced up and down slowly, staring at the shelves and shelves of books. He had never had the interest in reading like Loki had and his brother had always been jealous that he had kept the key because he had access to all these wonderfully undiscovered volumes. 

He missed his brother. Though not bound by blood, he would never stop being his brother and he couldn’t bare the fact that he was in danger once again. Loki had been his best friend when he had been growing up. When he got to a certain age he had neglected that fact and he had come to pay the price. He was determined to find Loki and repair the bond between them. It had been shattered but he believed it was fixable. 

He didn’t have to wait much longer for Odin to appear. Frigga was following him closely. Her face was far more composed but Thor could still see the stains that her tears had left behind. 

“Though I have agreed to help you I still cannot abandon the laws. I will tell you what I know but I cannot go with you to save them.” 

Thor didn’t like it but he nodded anyway. There was no point arguing, Odin had agreed to help and he was about to receive the information her sought. 

“They are being held in a cave for now. I cannot give you a precise location but from the glimpses I have caught it is in a heavily wooded area. I believe to find it you will just have to use trial and error, if they are not in one location then move onto the next. The Chitauri aren’t many in number but they can still put up an equal fight, do not overestimate them. I don’t know the state that Loki and Tony will be in so I will warn you it could be bad. I have overheard odd things and I know that they cannot kill Loki until his immortality has been removed but they plan on killing Tony before they leave Midgard. I don’t know how long they will take before they do that.” 

Thor felt his heart plummet. Even if he saved Loki and the god was returned to his normal health, he would never be the same without Tony. If Tony was killed before he could get to them then all hope of mending his bond with Loki would be gone. He knew Loki had not voiced it yet but he could see it in his eyes that he loved Tony. If Tony was not returned home with Loki then he would not be returned home at all. His new home was Tony, wherever he was that is where Loki would be. 

“Are you sure this information will be enough to find them,” Frigga asked frantically, pulling Thor away from his thoughts. 

“With the use of Midgardian technology I believe that they can be found. The information narrows down the general location. The time consuming part will be getting to each one and scouting it to make sure that Tony and Loki are there.” 

Frigga nodded in understanding then glanced over at her husband. “Is that all you know?” 

“Yes, I realise it is not much but it’s all I know for now. If there is anything that I discover I will send word to you.” 

“Thankyou father, I think it’s best I leave now, there isn’t much time.” 

Thor walked towards the door but the sound of his father’s voice made him pause and turn back. “Good luck Thor, bring them both home safely.” 

“I will do my best.” He smiled hesitantly before disappearing through the door. 

The trip back down the rainbow bridge was quick. Soon Heimdall was ready to send him back through the Bifrost and back to Earth. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Tony’s floor of the Avenger’s tower was surprisingly full when he arrived. All the team was there minus Clint, he and Fury were due to be there any minute. When they both arrived, all of them gathered around to hear the new information that Thor had. They listened well and took everything in their stride. It was Steve who suggested using JARVIS to locate possible locations that Loki and Tony could be. 

The scans were fairly quick but there were still many possible locations that they could be. Some of them were by the coast but Thor thought that they would not likely be there. When JARVIS removed these from the list it was significantly shorter. 

Fury said that they could use the helicarrier and then use separate planes to check out each place. Thor agreed this was a good plan but said they couldn’t split up for this. He was taking into account Odin’s warning that the Chitauri were still dangerous. He didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. If things got very heated when they found Loki and Tony they might need to work with the plan that someone would have to get them out safely while the others took care of the Chitauri. Once everyone was agreed, they left quickly even though it was very late. There was no time to waste when their friends were in danger and they knew that they could help.


	27. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, been having serious writers block and now school has restarted and for me it's an important year so all updates might be later. Still enjoy this unpdate and thankyou for sticking with this story :)

# Chapter 26

It had been a month. One whole month since Thor had come back with the information from Asgard. The team had been working non-stop to get to every single location on their list as quickly as possible. The helicarrier had come in exceptionally handy but so far they had found no trace of Loki or Tony. Though none of them voiced this aloud, they were all beginning to feel doubtful. Even Steve and Thor’s enthusiasm was waning as they searched another cave and found nothing. 

“This is so fucking pointless,” Clint grunted, kicking a rock and watching it fly away into the trees surrounding them. 

“Searching for our friends is not pointless,” Thor replied angrily. 

“It is if we can’t even find them.” 

“We are doing our best, there is nothing more we can do. If you do not want to help then leave.” 

Clint raised his eyebrows. “I might just do that.” 

“Oh shut up the pair of you,” Steve cut in, stepping between them. “Clint, you’re not going anywhere, you are part of this team and Tony needs you even if you don’t care as much for Loki.” 

“Hey wait-,“ Clint interrupted but was cut off by Steve. 

“And Thor, he doesn’t mean it, he’s just frustrated. We all are, we’ve been searching for weeks and we have come up with nothing. But we can’t let this get to us, we’ve got to keep going. Can you both just hold off this bickering until our friends are safe?” 

“Yes,” Clint and Thor muttered, both shuffling awkwardly and staring at the floor. 

“Good. Now everyone back on the plane, we need to get back to base and see where to go next.” 

“Yes Cap,” The team echoed. 

They followed his instructions, walking back to the plane that they had landed in a clearing close to the cave entrance. Natasha and Clint took seats in the cockpit and began to set everything up for a safe takeoff while everyone else buckled themselves in. It was a quick trip back to the helicarrier which they were all pleased about because they needed a break from each other’s company. They had spent back to back days together and it was starting to get to them. Everyone was tired and needed a break from each other’s company as well as from the job but their duty to their friends came first. None of them would give up until there was reason to, no matter how much they argued or how much they threatened to leave. They were in this until the very end. 

When they arrived Fury was waiting as usual but he already knew that there was no sign, if there had been he would have been notified. Still, Fury always held hope that they would bring back Stark one day (and preferably not in a body bag). He wouldn’t say it but they all knew that he was just as worried as them. Though Tony annoyed the hell out of him it was always nicer to have his quick remarks and clever retorts than have the thought that they may never be heard again. And as for Loki, the director had become accustomed to his presence and so he supposed it would be nicer to have them both back and not have to worry about him becoming a threat again. 

They all slumped into seats and let out equally frustrated sighs. 

“So where are we going next?” Bruce asked, taking off his glasses and rubbing his bloodshot eyes before replacing them on his face. 

“I have no idea,” Natasha replied. “But could we just sleep for an hour or two before we head out again?” 

“Yes, go now and I’ll get someone to wake you later. We need you all at your best,” Fury answered, surveying his team with expressionless intensity. 

He could see this mission was running them into the ground and their skills and senses were not on form but nothing could be done. The longer they rested, the higher the chance was that they would find Tony in a state far closer to dead than alive. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The alarms were beeping and the ceiling was flashing but he couldn’t pull himself back to consciousness. What finally pulled him back to the real world was Natasha throwing his door open and shouting at him to get up. A brief wave of anger rushed through him but he pushed it down and locked it away in the place that allowed him to function without the worry of hulking out at any moment. 

“What’s going on?” 

“We’ve found them,” The black widow said before exiting the room. She didn’t need to check if he was following, it was obvious he was. 

Scrambling out of bed, Bruce pulled his shirt back on and ran after her back into the main room on the helicarrier where everyone else was waiting. They were all standing around the table, all of them far too restless to sit and all of them suited up. Bruce knew he would be the last to suit up. He always was. 

Fury explained quickly to them all that they had moved in towards the next location on the list and instructed JARVIS to run the usual scans. At first they had all come up blank but then unusual energy signatures were detected. After they had taken a closer look, by the help of the extremely high-tech camera system that Tony had gifted to S.H.I.E.L.D, they were able to identify certain features on the ground that suggested that they had the right place. 

“So you don’t know for sure yet?” Steve asked. 

“The only way we will know is by getting in close, as in you all going in on ground level. I would suggest you all use stealth to your advantage and take your time to plan and let us know before going in but I don’t think that will work in our favour. The Chitauri might already know we’re here, we don’t know how advanced their senses are or if they have any tech of their own.” 

“Also the longer we take now in preparation, the longer they will be in danger for,” Thor cut in. 

“Yes but we can’t just charge in. We need a plan even if it’s just some basic guidelines,” Steve said. He gestured towards the ground. “We don’t know what it will be like down there, on the inside. It could be bad.” Everyone watched him as he paced up and down a few times, obviously deep in thought. After a few minutes he stopped and turned back to them. “I’d suggest that two of us head in, Agent’s Romanoff and Barton I suggest you both because you have the training and know how to be stealthy. Get in as close as you can and then report back at what you see, only then will we move in unless there is something serious that is stopping us. Do we agree?” 

“Yeah, seems reasonable,” Clint said and Natasha nodded in agreement. 

“Okay then, if you’re ready then let’s head out.” 

Natasha and Clint fastened into one of the smallest planes they had on the helicarrier and prepared to make their descent. They picked out a location close enough to the cave entrance that it would be easy to escape or access if needed but far enough away that they shouldn’t be detected. The plane allowed space only for them both with room in the back for storage or, in this circumstance, a casualty. Steve, Bruce and Thor took another plane that was slightly larger but made no more noise than the first. They agreed that when they landed they would land further away but still be in good distance of the cave. With their plan in mind and earpieces ready, Clint and Natasha took off from the helicarrier. 

They landed not that many minutes later. Natasha exited first, doing a quick scan of the general vicinity but there was nothing of immediate danger. As she headed off in the direction of the cave, Clint followed her but remained a few metres to her left so they could track more ground and it would be easier to defend themselves if they were attacked. 

Both of them stopped when the cave came into view. They couldn’t see much from where they were though so they came together and edged through the trees until they had a clearer view. The scene before them was deserted. Nothing was moving apart from the leaves on the tress that surrounded the entrance of the cave. 

“Area’s clear, move in,” Clint muttered, knowing Steve and the others would hear through their own earpieces. 

_“Moving in,_ ” Steve responded. 

Natasha and Clint backtracked to pick up the others and discuss their next moves. 

“There is only the one entrance,” Natasha said when the rest of the team were on the ground and out of their plane. “So I think we just have to go for it.” 

“I suppose so,” Steve replied, unhappy that they would lose the element of surprise. 

They walked back to the cave and hovered in the trees for some minutes. Waiting. Waiting. Nothing happened, nothing exited the cave or appeared from the surrounding area so Steve gave the sign and they moved in. 

Clint gripped his bow tightly and did a quick glance at the arrows on his back. Thor gave Mjolnir a swing before reaffirming his grip on the handle. He was ready for this. He was ready to make the Chitauri pay for taking his brother again. 

The cave was dark and the air was unnatural. Clint and Natasha led the way then it was Bruce, still in human form, and Steve and Thor were bringing up the rear. Bruce had instructions to change into the hulk if things got really bad, he had a gun for general protection but was told to get to Tony and Loki if the others were engaged. He was the doctor after all. 

The almost tunnel they were walking through went very thin at parts and they had to form into a single file line but at other times it was so wide they could easily walk next to eachother with room to spare. They kept in formation though at these times. 

It was almost fifteen minutes of walking before they finally heard a sound that wasn’t their own footsteps on the hard ground. Pressing their backs firmly against the wall, Clint, who was leading the group down a particularly thin part, glanced quickly round the bend in their path. He did a hand gesture to the others and they all took a more firm grip on their weapons. 

A second later Clint threw himself from the wall and jammed an arrow through the unfortunately unsuspecting Chitauri’s chest. It let out a squeal but was silenced when Natasha withdrew a dagger from her belt and slit its throat. The limp body fell to the floor and lay in a pool of its own blood that was now streaming freely out of the deep cut. 

“What should we do with it?” Clint whispered. They didn’t dare speak louder when they were in such close proximity to the enemy. 

“Just drag it around the corner where we’ve just come from,” Steve replied, speaking in the same hushed tone. “This is the only path in and out so someone will only find it if they come down the way we’re going and if that happens then we’ll stop them.” 

So they moved the body and carried on along the winding path deeper into the cave. The next time they came across any Chitauri was when they rounded another corner and fell straight into a large hollowed out room that was full of the unnatural creatures. They turned at once when they laid eyes on the intrusion and grabbed their own guns, ready for the fight. 

“You know what to do,” Steve shouted. And it was the last thing they all heard before the first shot was fired and they were once again fighting for their lives. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

He heard the sounds of shots ringing out and the screams of the Chitauri but he couldn’t concentrate. His mind was burning and his body ached and yet he dragged himself to the bars of the cell and tried to prise the iron away from its imbedded place in the rock. 

_They had taken Tony. They had taken Tony._

It was the only thought repeating in his mind. It wasn’t the first time that Tony had been taken away. He had heard the screams. Loki knew what they were doing. But this time felt wrong. It had been too long. He had been gone too long. And with all the commotion elsewhere, he could no longer identify Tony’s screams that used to be the only sign to tell him that the genius was in fact alive. 

_He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be dead. He wouldn’t believe it._

Loki shouted and screamed himself hoarse as he tried to escape the cell. He could feel his magic trying to break free from the Chitauri’s hold. It was trying to help him but it could not break through the bonds. He knew he should have cared for who the Chitauri was fighting. He knew it was probably important but it just didn’t capture his mind. Tony had captured his soul and he believed that was far more important. And the thought that they were hurting him or that they had murdered him was something he could not bear. He had to get out. 

He soon grew weak from the yelling and his body soon gave out from the fatigue. His nails were broken and bleeding from scratching at the bars and the hard ground. He fought to stay conscious. He couldn’t pass out now, he wouldn’t allow it. Fighting against his bodies will, he forced himself to stay awake. Using the iron bars for leverage, he pulled himself from the floor and made an attempt to stand. As soon as he got nearly half way up, his legs buckled from under him and he let out a frustrated growl. 

His body sagged forward until he was slumped against the cell door. He tried screaming again but his voice failed him and the unconsciousness that he had been fighting overwhelmed him. His vision faded to black and his body slipped to the floor where he lay unmoving. The only energy he had left was used just to keep breathing. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“Thor, THOR!” 

“I HAVE TO FIND MY BROTHER,” Thor roared, shoving through the room until he reached the other exit that would allow him further into the cave. 

“NO THOR, STICK TO THE PLAN!” Steve cried. He dodged out the way of a Chitauri that was charging at him. As he moved, he swung his shield round and knocked it to the ground which was when he shot it in the head. “WE NEED YOU HERE.” 

Thor was torn. He knew there was a plan and he knew he should stay. But the pull of his brother was just too strong. He didn’t want to abandon him again. He was here and he knew Loki was here and he could help and we would help. There was no way he could leave Loki suffering. But the team. But family. Who could choose between their friends or their family? No matter if it was a blood relation or not. 

He got to the exit and made to leave but just as he was about to leave he heard a shout. Turning quickly he watched Natasha fall to the ground. Her gun flew out of her hand as she made contact with the ground. Her dagger was in her other hand and as she twisted off the ground to pursue an attack, a Chitauri stamped down hard on her wrist until it felt the bones click and she had released the dagger. Then it loomed over her and drew its own gun ready to fire. It pulled the trigger just as Mjolnir smashed into its head and shattered its skull. It dropped to the floor to join the other bodies littering the floor. 

Natasha let out a cry, cradling her leg. The thunder god dropped down beside her and took her hands away to assess the damage. 

“Look it’ll be fine, go and find Loki and Tony,” Natasha said through gritted teeth. 

“No, you need help,” Thor replied stoutly and refused to listen to anymore of her protests. 

He had made up his mind. He needed to stay here with the team because they needed him more. The numbers of Chitauri had started to dwindle and then the last body fell to the ground and they all breathed a sigh of relief. 

“I thought your dad said that they weren’t big on numbers,” Clint muttered, picking up an arrow off the floor and cleaning it on his top. 

Thor just shook his head and continued to bend over Natasha. “She needs medical attention.” 

Clint had so far been preoccupied to realise that the black widow was on the floor and clearly in a lot of pain. Now, due to the lack of action, he turned and let out a shout. In a second he was next to on the floor. He wripped off part of his top and tied it above the wound, helping to stem the flow of blood. 

“You okay ‘Tasha?” 

“I’ll be fine Clint. Remember the mission, go and find the others. I’ll stay here.” 

“You’re not being left alone, Clint stay with her,” Steve instructed. “We’ll head on, just make sure your earpieces are one in case you need help.” 

The archer nodded and the others left, moving forward further into the cave. They didn’t know what to expect but it certainly wasn’t what they found.


	28. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay, I totally underesimated my work load this year but here's a chapter. I'll try and update quicker next time but for now enjoy :)

# Chapter 27

They walked further and further into the cave, more cautious now of what to expect. They didn’t come across any more Chitauri for some time but they were still wary whenever they heard a noise or a distant echo from either in front or from behind them. If it came from behind they would all look back and then to Cap. He would then reassure them that if there was a problem then Natasha or Clint would contact them. They all would nod, convincing themselves and eachother that it would all be fine. 

They were scared. They had been preparing for this moment for weeks and they had all had years of prior training which was supposed to make them be able to deal with these sorts of situations. And yet they were so hopelessly unprepared to what it was actually like. They were fighting through an unknown hostile environment to recover their friends who could be dead or very close to at that very moment. Who could ever be prepared for that? They were scared and they were right to be. 

“I think it opens up again,” Bruce whispered, peering around the others. 

“Okay, everyone be ready,” Steve ordered, then led the party round another tight corner. 

Bruce was right, the path did open out into another room but it was deserted. There were no Chitauri soldiers at all. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief and walked on. 

The path widened out more but up ahead it was impossibly dark. They exchanged hesitant looks. All of them knew they couldn’t use any artificial lights because it could alert the enemy to their whereabouts but going in blind meant that they would be at a disadvantage to any attack that was launched on them. Then they heard it. A faint groan that turned into a breathy cry of pain. 

“Loki,” Thor said loudly, running off into the darkness. 

“Thor no!” Steve cried but the god was beyond reasoning. He had already been swallowed by the darkness. 

“What do we do now?” Bruce demanded. 

“We follow,” Steve replied, looking anxious. He adjusted his grip on his shield and nodded. 

They jogged into the darkness but found no danger. They heard nothing that even hinted towards danger or anything related to the Chitauri. Light had fought through some cracks in the crumbling rock and lit their path enough so they didn’t stumble. By the time they heard Thor again, their fears had all been laid to rest. They had fought the Chitauri once and won and had just done it again. They could do it a third and as the saying goes, third time lucky. But when they actually found Thor, there were no Chitauri present. 

The thunder god was swinging his arm back before he threw it forward and Mjolnir made contact with metal bars. All of them came to a quick stop and shuffled backwards a few steps to give him some room. They looked through the bars of the cell and saw Loki lying crumpled on the floor. He seemed to be in a lot of pain, his head was tucked down as though trying to keep it out the way of being kicked. From a distance they couldn’t assess the full damage but it didn’t look good. 

“Where’s Tony?” Bruce said quietly. 

Steve glanced around and felt his heart sink. Tony wasn’t there. 

There was loud bang and what felt like a strong gust of wind that knocked them all backwards to the ground. Thor was the only one left standing, watching as the cell bars disintegrated to ash on the floor. 

“How did you do that?” Steve asked, climbing to his feet. 

Thor didn’t answer. As the dust cleared, the image of Loki came back into focus and the god had thrown himself to his knees next to his brother. 

“Magic hammer,” Bruce said offhandedly, then his voice rose as Thor made to move Loki. “Don’t move him! I need to look over him first.” 

The thunder god looked up, his eyes a battle of obeying and rebelling, tears beginning to cloud his vision. 

“Please hurry,” He whispered. “I need to know he’s okay.” 

Bruce patted his shoulder as he knelt down on the opposite side of Loki. He leant in close to listen for breathing then pressed two fingers to Loki’s pulse point on his neck. There was silence for a few seconds then he withdrew his fingers and let out a breath. 

“His breathing is fairly steady and I can feel a good pulse but still don’t move him.” 

“Why not? We must get him out quickly!” 

“Hey don’t forget Tony,” Steve cried, but Bruce silenced him with a look. 

“Look, stop bickering. Steve we will find Tony and Thor we cannot move Loki because if we do you will be rolling him onto his back which I would advise against. His back is extremely scarred and it appears to still be bleeding. You need to be patient.” 

“But how will we get him out?” Thor asked calmly. 

“I’ll stay here with him. I’ll do my best to clean him up or get him in a state where he can be moved, luckily he’s still unconscious. You and Steve go on and contact if there’s a problem. We’ve heard nothing from Clint and Natasha so I think the cave’s clear. Just be weary.” 

“Okay.” Steve nodded, accepting what Bruce said and Thor echoed him. 

Thor got to his feet and took one last lingering look over his brother before turning his back and following Steve. Witnessing him so weak and so alone just made Thor think about how far he had fallen. He was the fallen god. No one had ever fallen so far. And yet, as Frigga had said, he still manages to pull himself back up and find something good. 

This was what gave him the determination to walk away from his limp body, lying on the dirt floor. Tony. The genius, the playboy, the hero. Tony Stark, Loki’s something good. He was like a match and he had relit Loki’s fire, had brought him back to life. He had to bring him back to Loki, whole and undamaged. It was his promise, his goal. He owed Loki this after causing him to fall so far. He knew he shouldn’t blame himself but how could he not? For too long he hadn’t taken responsibility. He had acted like a child for so long. But no more. He would find Tony. 

And he did. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“There’s Chitauri up ahead,” Steve muttered, feeling the unpleasantness fill his stomach just like it always did when these creatures were involved. 

“Good,” Thor replied. He wanted to break something, preferably some skulls. 

They didn’t bother with anything tactical, there wasn’t any point. The place where these Chitauri had decided to take up residence was lit up nicely with lights that could not be of this world. They held a red glow and were attached all around the cave walls and ceiling. 

When the pair saw a clear view they both halted for a moment, eyes drawn to something they would never wish not see. Tony had his wrists tied together and they were pulled sharply above his head and attached to the rock above. His bare toes barely scraped the floor, but judging by the way they were scarred and covered in dry blood, they had scraped along the floor at least once. Apart from that he didn’t seem to have any other physical damage, not like Loki’s. He had a few scratches here and there and bruises up his arms and on his face but they would heal up fine. The thing that bothered Steve and Thor the most was the way he was hanging limply but every few seconds he would twitch or let out a moan or cry, his eyes screwed tight as though he was in serious plain. They could see no physical damage so that meant the damage must be mental. 

They were given no more time to think before the Chitauri attacked with ferocity. Both dodged, ducked, hit and shot, often working together to take the creatures down. There wasn’t as many as there had been when they first entered the cave but there were still enough of them to test them and make them breathless quickly. 

When their numbers were starting to dwindle, the Chitauri let up on their fight and started to back up even further into the cave. They held their weapons defensively as they backed out, keeping their eyes firmly fixed on the captain and the god. The two followed them a certain way but as the Chitauri backed round a corner and out of line if sight, they heard their hurried footfalls and knew they were trying to run. 

“We must follow them,” Thor said. 

“But Tony, he’s our priority,” Steve argued. 

“You stay then but I cannot let this vermin get away with what they had done.” 

“Alright,” Steve conceded. “But Thor, be careful,” He added as the god made to run off. 

He nodded and tried for a faint smile of reassurance before turning on his heels and following the last Chitauri. 

Steve ran back to Tony. Taking his weight with one arm and leaning the genius’s body against his own, he reached up and cut the ropes that were binding him to the ceiling of rock. His body fell heavily against the captain but he managed to steady him before laying him gently onto the ground. He freed his hands then pressed the piece in his ear. 

“Everything okay there, we’ve got Loki and Tony.” 

_“Everything’s fine, Bruce let us know about Loki but how’s Tony?”_

“Not good, I’m going to let S.H.I.E.L.D know they can move in now. Thor’s run off after the last Chitauri but I think he’ll be fine.” 

_“Okay, see you soon then.”_

The line went dead and Steve let out a sigh of relief. He then checked on Bruce and, on finding out that he too was fine, contacted the helicarrier and let them know they could move in. They had to get Tony and Loki out. They both needed urgent medical attention. Fury answered with a curt response, saying they would be there in ten minutes. 

And they were. First Steve heard the quick but light footfalls and then the other agents came into view. As Tony was shifted onto a stretcher and carried away, Steve collapsed backwards onto the floor and let out a shaky laugh. They had done it. They had found them. He knew that neither Loki nor Tony were in the clear yet but at least they were alive. It hadn’t been too late. 

Thor returned some time later when Steve finally picked himself up off the floor. By that point the cave was swarming with S.H.I.E.L.D agents so he wasn’t alone. When Thor appeared, he got to him before the others could swarm him and asked him what happened. 

“They had preparations in case of an attack. They ran off to find a device that they had planted that allowed them to escape. Just as I got to where they were, they were all disappearing.” 

“But how did they do that?” 

“I could feel the magic that surrounded them when they left. Do not worry though, they are no longer on this planet. They didn’t use the magic provided by Yggdrasil so they must have used their own kind. I would be able to feel it if it was Yggdrasil. By now they will be far away in another galaxy.” 

Steve could see the frustration and disappointment playing on the blond god’s face. 

“Look Thor, at least they’re gone and Loki and Tony are safe. Only about five or six escaped, that’s nothing. They won’t be able to attack us with numbers like that. Loki’s safe now, okay? That’s the most important thing.” 

“Yes, I agree. Now I must go and see him.” 

They both left the cave together, weaving in and out of the other agents as they navigated the narrow paths. When they emerged into fresh air, they both took deep breaths before taking one of the small planes back to the helicarrier. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Tony felt someone take his weight but he barely registered it. He hurt. His brain hurt. Most of all he wanted to just lay down and cry. His arms ached from holding up his weight while his feet hurt from trying to find balance on the floor. The next sound he felt himself fall but he didn’t hit the ground. He fell against something hard then was lowered to the ground. He thought he heard a voice he recognised but it couldn’t be. This was probably just another cruel trick of the Chitauri’s, they were trying to lure him into believing he was actually real and there and then they would show him the images again of why he couldn’t be there. 

He fought to open his eyes, he wanted to see some light. There was always so much darkness. It was suffocating. Why wouldn’t they just let him go? Or better yet let him die? He had suffered enough. And it wasn’t like he had anything to go back to now. That was all gone. Everything he loved, everyone he cared for. It was all gone. 

The ground was hard and cold. He shivered as he lay there then something was arranged over him. A coat? A blanket? Why were the Chitauri doing this? It wasn’t too much longer before he felt himself being picked up and rolled over by multiple pairs of hands. He was put onto something soft that rose off the ground and moved steadily through the cave. Was he on a stretcher? This was all too much and he couldn’t even see or think. His brain hurt. 

When he finally opened his eyes, he hurriedly shut them again. Even though the light in the room was dimmed it still hurt and caused the throbbing in his head to intensify. 

“You’re awake.” Tony kept his eyes shut and didn’t answer. “Tony? Do you want me to get one of the medics?” 

“Are you being serious? Like I’m going to believe any of this,” Tony said slowly. 

“What? I’m serious. Tony, this is real,” Bruce said frowning. 

“NO! No it’s not real. You’re dead. DEAD. The whole team, Fury...everyone’s dead and I’m not going to fall for one of your tricks again so try them on someone else.” 

“No Tony you’re confused, the Chitauri have manipulated you, they have made you see things that aren’t real. The team aren’t dead, we’re all here on the helicarrier.” 

“Shut up,” Tony shouted, still refusing to open his eyes. 

“You have to listen, none of its real. The Chitauri are gone, your safe and everyone’s alive and safe. Loki’s recovering in another room.” 

“Loki. No.” 

“Yes Tony, please just open your eyes.” He reached forward and gently took his hand. “See, real.” 

Tony tried to pull away from the contact but Bruce tightened his grip. He felt Bruce’s rough skin on his and he relaxed just a little. It couldn’t be real. It just couldn’t. 

“Please,” Bruce pleaded. “Just open your eyes.” 

And he did. The light hurt again but he fought against the instinct to shut them. Instead he squinted until they adjusted then he turned his head slowly. He let out a breathy laugh as he saw Bruce sitting next to him. 

“It can’t be-“ 

“It is. It’s real, I’m here and you’re safe.” 

This time Tony let out a loud chuckle before he tugged Bruce into a tight hug. The whole time he kept whispering _thankyou_ over and over. Nothing could express how much gratitude he had for this man or the whole team. They had saved him and Loki. Loki. 

Suddenly he pulled back. “Loki, where is he?” 

Bruce held up a hand to calm him while he pushed him back into the bed with the other. 

“Like I said, he’s in another room recovering. He suffered more physically than you did meaning he needed a lot more medical attention while we just needed to wait for you to wake up. Steve and Thor found you, I stayed with Loki when we found him.” 

“And Natasha and Clint?” 

“Natasha got injured and so Clint stayed with her. She’s alright now, nothing too bad. Thor’s with Loki and no you cannot go and see him before you ask. He hasn’t woken up yet but he’s under a lot of anaesthetic. Because of his magic or godness he burns the stuff off quickly.” 

Tony nodded and relaxed back on the bed. He wanted to see Loki, he needed to see him. But he knew Bruce would never allow it and he also knew he wasn’t quite up to it yet. 

“Can I ask you something?” Bruce said, after a pause. 

“Well you just did but go on anyway.” 

Bruce smiled then continued. “Why did you think that I was...that we were...dead?” 

The genius hesitated before he answered. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to word the mental torture that he went through? He didn’t think he could and he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about it. But this was Bruce. He trusted Bruce. He knew he wouldn’t interrupt or push for information. He would only listen and nod or say nothing at all. 

“They...the Chitauri...they hurt Loki by using these whips that were magic. They only took him away for weeks but then they came for me and took me away. I expected to get the same treatment but instead they did something to my head. They made me fall asleep and then I would start to see all these images of you all dying in....horrible ways. Every time they took me they showed me the same things until I believed them. The time you came for me they showed me a new image. It was...it was of Loki and...and they had...” His words turned to whispers and his shoulders shook from the suppressed sobs. 

“Tony, Tony it’s okay. You don’t need to finish.” 

“But I was so scared. I thought I had lost him Bruce, I thought I had lost him and I couldn’t deal with that. For that short time thinking he was gone was the worst I’ve ever felt. I thought that my heart was gone, there was nothing left. There was only pain.” Tears ran down his cheeks as he stared at Bruce. 

Anyone else would have thought it mean that the only one Tony was sad about losing was Loki. But Bruce knew this wasn’t the case. Tony cared about them all and he also knew what it was like to be in love. The thought of losing Betty was too painful to think about for him so he could understand Tony’s reaction to losing Loki. The things he’d seen must have been bad for him to react like this. 

“I wanted to die. I wanted it to end,” Tony said shakily. 

“It’s over now. Loki’s here, he’s alive and he will recover. And so will you. You’ll get past this, I promise,” Bruce replied. 

“Good, I don’t think I could survive something like that again.”


	29. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a short chapter but it is the set up for the final part of this story. Thankyou for all the support for this story, I appreciate it all!! Enjoy!

# Chapter 28

Tony spent almost a week bedridden. During that time he was visited by the rest of the team. Steve was first, after Bruce, and then came Clint who was the only one who actually managed to lighten the mood. Though Steve had really tried not to bring up the cave, having been instructed not to by an insistent Bruce, he still didn’t manage to stop himself from straying to the subject. He was ushered very quickly from the room while Tony just lay there with a blank expression. 

It was some time later before Natasha graced him with her presence. She walked in awkwardly, using the crutches that she had been forced to use. Bruce held the door open for her as she entered. When she passed him, she sent him a venomous look. From their brief conversation Tony learned that she was trying to convince Fury to allow her to modify the crutches to conceal weapons and such like. So far her suggestions had been rejected, much to her disappointment. 

The last to pay a visit was Thor. He trudged into the room looking exhausted and dishevelled. He collapsed into the chair beside Tony’s bed and let out a heavy breath, relaxing back as best as he could on its uncomfortable straight back. 

“You look healthy,” Tony stated bluntly. 

“I am fine and in perfect health. But I didn’t come to talk about myself, how are you?” 

“I’m great,” Tony smiled. “I just wish they would let me out this damned room.” 

“The doctors are just trying to make sure you are fully healed before they let you go. You suffered much in those months and it is important that you become well again.” 

The genius tried to pay attention to his words but all he could think was _when did Thor get to be such a commanding ass?_ Still he supposed it was an improvement from his previous phases of self-righteousness and, how could he forget the best one, of when he had no idea how Earth worked and had to be taught how to use a microwave and put a movie on. Oh yeah they had been good times, Tony thought, smiling to himself. 

“At least you have stayed positive,” Thor said. Tony frowned, then he realised the god was referring to him smiling for no apparent reason that Thor could see. 

“Uhh yeah, I guess. There’s not really time for negativity when Fury expects you to be back at work by next week.” 

Thor smiled weakly but it didn’t reach his eyes. Something was troubling and Tony knew it but he just didn’t have the courage to ask him. Why had he only come now? Why not sooner? Whatever was wrong, he knew it was something to do with Loki. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what it was yet. 

The pair lapsed into a fairly uncomfortable silence. Tony busied himself with pouring himself a glass of water while Thor fiddled with his hands that rested in his lap while gazing out the window. It would have been a good form of distraction except that the blinds were down so he couldn’t see anything that was happening on the opposite side of the glass. 

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but did you come for something specific because you seem really stressed out and I’m starting to wonder if it has anything to do with me?” 

Thor let out a heavy sigh and turned back to face him. The shadows under his usually alight eyes caused a pang of worry to pass through Tony’s abdomen. 

“It is not to do with you specifically, it is more my brother and where he is concerned it usually means it involves you too.” 

“I’m not sure if that is an insult or not,” Tony replied. 

“It was not supposed to be, I just meant it in terms of your relationship with Loki. You have become very important to him which is why I cannot understand his recent behaviour.” 

“Right okay...care to explain?” Tony asked, working hard to keep the sudden unease he felt from affecting his tone. 

The genius’s unease was not put to rest as Thor chose that moment to lapse into another painful silence. He stared into the corner of the room beside Tony’s bed and muttered words to himself every so often. This seemed to be becoming new habit of his which Tony probably would have approved of if he hadn’t been so desperate to find out what the god wanted to tell him. Watching Thor, he tried to get in his eye line by sifting on the bed but this only resulted with him losing his balance and almost toppling to the floor. He caught himself, though, and shifted safely back onto the bed. The sudden movement did the trick as it interrupted Thor’s thoughts. He blinked then opened his mouth to speak as though there hadn’t just been an almost five minute silence. 

“Bruce warned me not to tell you and so did the others but I believe it is best that you should know.” 

_What should he know?_ Tony thought. 

“It is not that the doctor’s have forbidden you to see Loki, it is more the fact that he has forbidden us to let you in. He does not want to see you.” 

The words hung in the air heavily before they slipped into Tony’s brain causing his whole body to temporarily shut down. Loki didn’t want to see him? But why? Were the injuries that he sustained really that bad that he didn’t want him to see? Was he embarrassed of them, or embarrassed that he could do nothing to stop them happening? Or was it something deeper, more mental than physical. Did Tony remind him too much of the cave and what happened within? Was he a constant reminder of the horror and the fear and the pain? Though he wished that one of these questions were the right one, he knew none of them were true. This was Loki. The Loki that was supposed to care about Tony. He would not let fear or the memories keep him away, nor the wounds and scars. It was something else that had Loki so fixed on not letting him visit and Tony needed to know what. 

“Very funny Thor.” Tony tried to laugh but his voiced chocked up. 

“I wish it was a joke Tony but it is not. We all agreed not to tell you but your health is fine now and Loki’s is improving aswell. It would become very difficult to keep you two apart soon, which is why I thought it better to tell you.” 

“Right...okay.” the genius didn’t know what else to say. 

“I will leave you alone for a while now if you want?” Thor asked, an expression of sadness and pity printed plainly on his face. 

Tony only nodded in reply. A few seconds passed. Then he heard the scrape of the chair legs on the hard floor as Thor pushed it back so he had enough room to stand. He offered Tony a reassuring smile before exiting but he didn’t see it. His eyes were fixed on a random point somewhere between the floor and he window. He gazed at it avidly as though waiting for something to happen or for the white paint to change colour and present him with the answers he so desperately sought. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

By the time the afternoon had rolled into the evening, Tony had made up his mind. He was going to somehow sneak out of his room, get into Loki’s and question him, all without causing a commotion or being caught. He needed answers. He needed them now. 

In the end he decided to wait until the sun had fully set and the helicarrier was flying in the darkness of night. Everyone was in bed or that’s at least what Tony assumed because no one had passed his window in ages, except some guards that paced the halls. He had watched them for some time and had vaguely managed to work out their route. They only came passed every fifteen minutes and there were always two, both dressed in S.H.I.E.L.D’s top of the range body armour and carrying small but deadly guns. Tony only knew these details because he had designed both of them himself. 

Noiselessly, he closed the blinds over his window and pretended to be asleep while he listened to the approaching footsteps of the two guards. They walked straight passed his room without pausing and continued on round the corner. Quick as a flash, Tony flung his bedcovers back and scrambled out of bed. He was already dressed in normal clothes, Bruce having finally allowed him to get dressed into something that didn’t resemble a hospital robe. 

Opening the door slowly, he peered out through the crack and looked left and right. There was no one is sight. He pulled the door fully open and turned back round to shut it, hearing, as he did so, the click that announced it was once again locked. Luckily he knew the keypad to get back in. As he tiptoed through the corridors, he wondered to himself why S.H.I.E.L.D only had door that locked from the outside. It wasn’t very practical. Realising it wasn’t the time to question S.H.I.E.L.D’s security; he focussed again on the task in hand, making a mental note to bring the issue up with Fury at a later date. 

The only problem he could think of at that moment was how was he supposed to find Loki’s room. At first Bruce had told him that Loki was in a room close to his but now he wasn’t sure if that was true, considering he hadn’t been told until today about Loki’s refusal to see him. 

It turned out, however, that Bruce hadn’t been lying and Loki’s room was actually very close to his own. When he peered through a crack in the blinds of a room, he saw Loki lying on his side in the bed. He let out a frustrated breath, knowing he had just wasted loads of time locating his room when it had been in the close vicinity the whole time. 

The door had a lock like the one for his own room; it required a password to enter. Tony assumed that they shared the same password and, sure enough, he was right. _God S.H.I.E.L.D needed to improve their security_ he thought. The door clicked shut and Loki shifted in his bed. Tony edged forward and took the seat next to his bed. He wasn’t quite sure how to approach the situation now he was there. 

There wasn’t any time for his to think though because a second later Loki’s eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes. 

“What in Valhalla are you doing here?” He hissed, sitting up straight. 

“I think we need to talk.” 

“I think you need to learn the rules of what is acceptable for being a human because sneaking into someone’s room in the night and when they specifically asked for you to be kept away is certainly not okay.” 

“What’s not okay is that you told everyone to keep me away and yet I wasn’t actually allowed to 

know. That’s low Loki,” Tony replied. “So tell me, what’s going on?” 

Loki swallowed and looked away. 

“Well it’s not my fault you found out like this, how did you find out anyway?” 

“Thor told me, now stop changing the subject. I want answers and I want them now.” 

“I can see that,” Loki muttered. “But I don’t know what to tell you.” 

Tony let out a frustrated groan and threw his hands into the air. “Well you better get thinking then because I’m not leaving until I know exactly what’s going on.” 

Loki stared back at him, whether it was in shock or something else, Tony didn’t know. He didn’t want to shout. He didn’t want to be angry with Loki but he couldn’t help it. Loki really wasn’t making things easy. Didn’t he understand how Tony was feeling? He was so confused and nervous. He wanted to know what was going on but he also didn’t because he was scared of finding out what the problem truly was. His head was a mess and Loki wasn’t making it easier. He needed straight answers. 

“I didn’t want to see you,” Loki began. 

“I know that bit,” Tony interrupted. “If that’s your reason then that’s bullshit.” 

“Will you please calm down? There is no good talking about this if you’re just going to shout, it won’t help anyone.” 

“Fine, okay,” Tony said, sitting back in the chair and doing his best to relax. When he spoke next it was with a soft tone that made Loki want to just fall into his arms. He pushed the thought away, knowing it wouldn’t help at all with what he was about to do. “But Loki please, can you just explain because I’m dying here.” 

“There isn’t really anything to explain.” 

“Then just say but stop with this, I just...need to know.” 

“Right okay, okay. Give me a minute,” Loki said, still not meeting his eye. He couldn’t look at him while he said this. It was too hard. This was all too hard. It wasn’t supposed to be this way; it wasn’t supposed to end like this. 

The minute stretched on slightly too long for Tony’s liking. “I’m sorry but I really can’t wait any longer and I have to get back to my room sometime before dawn and it now isn’t that far away.” 

“This isn’t working out.” 

“What isn’t? This conversation?” 

“No, this...as in us. You and I as a couple, it is not working.” 

“That’s the reason why you didn’t want to see me. How long have you felt like this?” 

“Long enough,” Loki replied vaguely. “And being in that cave just confirmed it. We are not good for eachother. Before we even got to the cave I had already chosen to leave.” 

“Just because we’re not good doesn’t mean this has to end,” Tony said desperately. He could feel his heart aching but he ignored it. “And you didn’t leave because of me, at least I don’t think so, because you told me I had to trust you.” 

“But you also ended up shouting at me to get out. Face it, this relationship would never have worked. It’s better to end it now.” 

“No but-“ 

“Stark please don’t make this more difficult. This is it, I’m telling you the truth.” 

“So that’s it. We’re over?” 

“If that’s how you say it on Midgard, then yes. We are over.” 

“Okay.” 

Tony got up from the chair and headed for the door. He didn’t look back or say another word. The door shut behind him as he walked off down the corridor, the ache in his heart now turned into a full out burn. So this was what it felt like to lose someone you loved. 

As he reached his door he heard two sets of footsteps round the corner. 

“What are you doing Mr Stark?” One of them commanded. 

“I was taking a piss,” he replied bluntly. “Are there rules against it?” 

“Uh, no,” The agent muttered. “Sorry but you must go back inside your room now.” 

“Alright I’m going.” 

“Thankyou for cooperating.” 

“Cooperating? Are you joking? You don’t own me, you can’t tell me what to do. If I wanna piss I can go piss, I don’t need permission and I don’t need to be told to get back in my room.” 

“Mr Stark I think you need to calm down.” 

“Oh just fuck off, I’ve had enough of S.H.I.E.L.D and their shit.” 

“We will report this abuse to Director Fury in the morning.” The pair hurried off around the corner to escape Tony’s wrath. 

“Abuse? Whatever, I don’t give a fuck,” He shouted after them. 

Tony typed in the code and opened his door. He slammed it shut and fell against it, resting his forehead on the cool glass. So that was it. He had wanted the truth and he had it. Now he was single and alone and had lost the only person he had ever actually loved.


	30. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my favourite chapter and I have been waiting for forever to write it. Hopefully you like it! Thankyou for all the comments and support, keep them coming :) Enjoy!

# Chapter 29

He didn’t move from where he stood while Thor paced round and round, talking the whole time about something or other that he hadn’t been listening to. It was the morning, Tony had never returned and now they were preparing to leave for the Avenger’s Tower. Loki still wasn’t allowed to move around too much in case he disturbed the stitches that had unfortunately been used to help heel his back. Why were the doctors on Midgard so difficult? On Asgard the gashes could have been sealed with magic and left to heal, in no time at all he would be back to normal. But Loki had the misfortune of still being on Midgard which meant he had to put up with their ways of doing things. 

“When we arrive you will be helped to your room and put to bed, you still need plenty of rest.” 

“I’m not a child Thor,” Loki snapped. 

Thor’s face softened. “Brother what is the matter? You have been off all morning.” 

Loki chose to ignore the question and the comment, choosing instead to ask his own question. “Where is Ton...Stark?” 

The blond god’s face fell and he shuffled awkwardly in front of Loki. “I’m sorry to tell you this but Tony has already left for his house in Malibu, he will not be returning to the tower with us. I don’t know why but he did not seem happy when I said farewell to him.” 

“He came to see me during the night. I ended our relationship.” 

Thor’s mouth opened abruptly to speak but his words were swallowed by the heavy breath that fell from his lips. He stared at his brother in disbelief and didn’t answer for some time. When he did it was with a cold edge that surprised Loki. 

“I hope you made the right choice,” was his reply. “Be ready to leave in around half an hour,” he finished, taking a final glance into his brothers eyes before exiting the room. 

Loki was left standing in the middle of his room, alone and with regret flooding through him. He had believed it would be the right choice. He thought that ending his relationship would be the best for them both but as soon as Tony had walked out he had already began to feel the first stings of regret. Now, after thinking over it for the rest of night and after telling Thor, it was even worse. Thor even thought he had made the wrong decision. 

He sat back on the edge of his bed and hissed at the pain that shot up his back. The huge gashes were still painful, even with his healing magic and the Midgardian doctors working on them. It must be to do with something in the Chitauri’s weapons. They must have something that prevents healing or pain reduction in them. Not that this really bothered Loki now. It was over, they were gone. Apparently. He still felt unsure. He still expected himself to be dragged backwards into darkness where he would be subjected to even more pain. It hadn’t happened yet but he couldn’t shift the uneasy feeling he had. 

How did he used to get rid of his unease? How did he used to be able to walk around and feel as though there wasn’t an invisible threat hovering above? How did he never notice that there was no threat, that the danger was gone, that he was safe? Then he remembered how. He remembered how Tony’s hand would wrap around his own as he threaded their fingers together. He remembered the blue glow of Tony’s Arc reactor that illuminated his eyes in the dark as they lay together in each other’s arms. He remembered the smile that would light up the genius’s face every time he saw Loki. That smile, Loki knew, was for him and only for him. It was his smile. 

Loki let out an angry cry and slammed his fist down on the bed. With the soft bedcovers it didn’t have much effect and just made a muffled thump as his hand made contact with it. How could something so simple as a smile from a mortal make a god feel safe, make a god forget all his worry? How could a god fall so in love with a mortal and not realise it until that mortal had already gone and wasn’t likely to come back? 

Someone knocked on the door, distracting Loki from his thoughts. 

“The jet is ready for your departure with your team, they are waiting for you on deck.” 

Nodding, Loki stood and followed the man out his room, discreetly wiping away a tear that had escaped down his cheek. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Pepper’s phone began to ring in her pocket as she strode down a corridor, trying to explain something as a quickly as possible to a new worker that was just starting today. 

“If you still don’t understand then go and ask him for help,” she said, gesturing vaguely at man who was leaning over a photocopier. 

As the worker hurried away, she rearranged the documents and folders in her arms so they balanced in one hand. With her now free hand, she reached inside her pocket and pulled out her still buzzing phone. Touching the answer button, she pressed the device to her ear. 

“Hello?” 

_“Hello Miss Potts I thought it best to warn you that Tony as arrived at his mansion in Malibu.”_

“Thankyou JARVIS, wait...what’s he doing there, shouldn’t he be at the tower? Are the others with him?” 

_“No he arrived alone at precisely 8:36 where he proceeded to empty his liquor cabinet and take its contents with him to the sofa where he has remained since.”_

That can’t be good, Pepper thought. 

“Alright, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

_“Wise choice Miss Potts.”_

The line went dead and Pepper was left staring straight ahead at her office door. She had so much work to do but she also hadn’t even heard from Tony since he was found safely. She had been worried sick when he had gone missing and now he was home. Something just felt wrong. Why had he come back alone? Why was he in Malibu and not New York? Why wasn’t Loki with him? She could only assume something bad had happened between them and if so then she knew he would need a friend. 

Opening her office door, she deposited the stack of folders on her desk before exiting the room and locking the door. On her way out the building, she told a random worker to explain to the others that she had had an emergency and had to leave early. She pulled her phone back out and dialled a number. 

“Hey Happy, I need a lift.” 

“I’ll be right there,” was the reply and not a minute later a car sped round the corner and a door opened. 

Pepper climbed in and filled him in on what JARVIS had said. Then they were off, speeding towards Tony’s mansion. On arrival, Pepper suggested that it was better if she just went in alone, not meaning it rudely at all. Happy agreed and left, telling her to call if she needed a ride home. 

“Tony?” Pepper called as she entered through the front door. “Tony?” 

She walked slowly through to the living room, her heels clicking on the floor. When she entered her eyes went straight to the lump that lay on the sofa. Rushing over, she bent down in front of Tony and shook his arm. 

“Tony, Tony wake up!” 

He grunted but didn’t open his eyes. Glancing around, Pepper silently counted the bottles that littered the table and the floor. Though there were a lot, she also realised with relief that most of them were still full. There were a few, however, that were devoid of their contents and Pepper could smell them on his breath. 

“Oh Tony, what’s happened?” She whispered, gently running her fingers through his hair. 

When she had been told that he had been found and that he was mostly unhurt, she had imagined seeing him again. She imagined that it would be like when he was brought back from the cave all those years ago after fighting his way out with his first ironman suit. But it wasn’t the same. The relief that he was okay was there, but seeing him so helpless again and so sad was not right, it shouldn’t be like this. He should be celebrating freedom not getting drunk and falling asleep, alone. 

Where was Loki? 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The sun was setting before Tony woke up. It had just dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky all shades of pink and orange, as Tony’s eyes opened and he let out a loud groan of discomfort. Pepper looked up from where she was sitting on a chair opposite him. Switching off her tablet, she moved forward and knelt on the floor in front of him. 

“Tony, are you okay?” 

“I’m fine Pep, how are you?” He replied, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. 

“You’re not fine at all,” she said. 

“Don’t ask then, if you aren’t going to believe me.” He leant forward and snatched up an opened bottle of alcohol then took a few large swigs before setting it back down again. 

Pepper stared at him in shock. “Tony what’s happened? Why are you here? Where’s Loki?” 

At the mention of the god’s name, Tony flinched slightly and his eyes took on an even deeper shade of sadness. Though he hoped she wouldn’t notice, Pepper did. She took his hand in hers and squeezed reassuringly. 

“Please tell me,” She said quietly, staring into his dark brown eyes. 

“There’s nothing to tell Pep,” Tony smiled. She could see that it was totally forced and held no joy. “Me and Loki broke up and that’s it. I never really believed it would work out anyway so it’s okay. I’m fine.” 

He didn’t look fine. 

“What!” Pepper cried. “You ended it with him?” 

“I didn’t, no. He did.” 

“And you just accepted it?” 

“What else could I do?” Tony asked, his voice rising in volume. “He refused to see me after we were rescued so I went to see him myself and he ended it. I tried to change his mind but it didn’t work. We’re over, done, whatever else you can come up with, but we’re no longer together. We’re finished.” 

As his voice faded to silence Pepper could see he was shaking. She put her arms up to pull him into a hug but he turned away. Her arms fell back to her sides limply. What was she supposed to do? How could she make this situation better? She knew Tony. She knew that he would wallow in sadness and drink his pain away until he was passed out for a week. She wouldn’t let that happen, she couldn’t. 

Picking up her phone from the table she walked out the room, dialling a number as she went. 

“Happy?” 

“Do you need me to give you a lift?” 

“Yes but first I need you to ready the Stark Jet.” 

“O...kay, where are you going?” 

“Manhattan, I need to get to the Avengers tower.” 

“Alright, I’m on it.” 

She hung up the phone then dialled another number. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey it’s Pepper, I need your help.” 

“Oh god what’s happened?” 

“Nothing Rhodey, I just need you to come to come to Malibu and stay with Tony while I’m gone.” 

“I’m a bit busy at the moment. What’s up with him?” 

“He’s in one of his states and it’s bad. I’ve got to go to New York and I need someone here. Will you do it, please?” 

The line went silent for a moment then she heard a frustrated breath. “Okay, fine, I’ll be there as soon as I can but you owe me one for this.” 

“Thanks Rhodey, see you when I get back. Hopefully I won’t be too long.” 

Just before she hung up the phone she heard Rhodey mutter _I hope not._

She strode back into the living room and saw Tony gulping down another bottle, the first now drained. The urge to go over there and rip the bottle from his grip was strong but she resisted. It would do no good to cause an argument now. Instead she just watched her friend drown his sorrows in alcohol. 

About twenty minutes later her phone buzzed with a text telling her that Happy was outside and the Stark Jet was ready for flight. Pepper hesitated in walking back in to say goodbye to Tony, she thought it better to just leave quietly. If she said goodbye then there would probably be questions and she couldn’t bear to look into those eyes so devoid of emotion again. 

“Everything okay?” Happy asked as she left the house. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine...at least it will be,” She added as an afterthought. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

The flight was surprisingly quick and she was soon in a car that took her straight to the tower. She thanked the driver then headed inside. It was now early in the morning, so early in fact that the sun hadn’t yet risen but she didn’t care. Nothing would stop her from talking to him now. Well maybe a few things would but they weren’t relevant. 

She took the lift up to the top floor where she guessed Loki’s room would be. Stepping out, Pepper walked down the corridor that led to the bedrooms. Most of the doors were open, all except two. One she guessed was Tony’s and the other Loki’s. It was a good thing that she knew the towers plan off by heart and so knew which room was Tony’s. Turning to her left, she wrapped hard on the door with her knuckles. There was no reply. She knocked again, this time harder. 

“Mmhhh what?” 

Pepper took that as an invitation to enter so she threw the door open and stalked inside. 

“You!” Pepper shouted, pointing a finger straight at Loki. “Do you know what you’ve done?” 

“Excuse me,” Loki said, an expression of surprise clear on his face even in the darkness of the room. “What have I done and why are you in my room?” 

“What have you done? What have you done? You’ve thrown away the best thing that could ever have happened to you. You have broken up with Tony and left him totally alone and heartbroken. If JARVIS hadn’t told me where he was I never would have found him drinking himself into oblivion. Lucky for you I was told and managed to get there before he could do any serious damage.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” Loki asked. 

“Because you need to know what you’ve done and because I need to know why you did it.” 

Loki let out a slow breath then turned on his side to switch on a light. As light washed over the room Pepper’s furious expression was fully revealed to him. She was breathing heavily and her jaw was clenched with her lips in a firm line. The god had to admit, it was rather intimidating and could probably scare any other person enough that they wouldn’t argue with a word she said. Unfortunately she was up against Loki and he didn’t back down from a fight easily. 

The silence stretched on longer than Pepper liked so she broke it. “So, why did you do it?” 

“I don’t think that it is any of your business.” 

“I’m making it my business. Tony is my best friend and I care about him more than anyone and seeing him in such a mess is horrible. You know I don’t like you and you now that I don’t like you being with Tony even more but I have to admit that I have never seen Tony so happy until you two got together.” 

Her voice took on a softer note towards the end of her little speech. She watched Loki’s face drop into an even more saddened expression and she couldn’t help but feel sympathy. The god didn’t make eye contact with her; he stared down at the bed then leant over to pour himself a glass of water. It was too far for him to reach and he hissed in pain as he stretched for it. Taking pity on him, Pepper walked over and poured him a glass of water before handing it to him. 

“Thankyou,” Loki whispered, taking the glass hesitantly then sipped it. 

Pepper sat on the edge of his bed carefully, wondering briefly if he would shout at her or kick her off. He made no protest to her sitting there however; he just continued to stare down at his bedcover. 

“I didn’t want to hurt him,” Loki said slowly. 

“You should have thought about that before you broke his heart,” Pepper replied, but the bitterness was gone from her voice. 

“It just wouldn’t have worked. We are far too different. He is mortal, I am a god. That is a combination that is doomed to fail. Being in that cave just proved to me how vulnerable he is and how stupid I have been. I was wrong to believe that I could actually be happy with someone.” 

“For god’s sake, stop feeling sorry for yourself!” Loki’s eyes snapped up to meet Pepper’s in an intense stare. “You are allowed to be happy. Just because you messed up in your past doesn’t mean you have to deny yourself a good future. You met someone that you like, that you might even love, and that person loves you back. What more could you want? Who cares that he’s mortal and you’re a god. Love is love no matter what.” 

“For being a simple human, you are rather intelligent,” Loki said. He chuckled slightly and after a second or two Pepper joined in, laughing quietly. 

“Thanks...I think,” She replied. 

There was a long pause. 

“Anthony would be better off with you.” 

“Yeah, but he chose you Loki. If he hasn’t said it yet then he’s certainly thinking it, he loves you.” 

“He has said it,” Loki said, smiling sadly. “I never said it back.” 

“Well you should have considering how obvious it is that you’re totally head over heels for him.” 

“I have been a total fool,” he muttered. 

“Yep,” Pepper said back. “But you can sort it all out now. Fly back with me to Malibu and tell him straight. I’m sure he will forgive you.” 

“No, I must travel to Asgard.” 

Pepper stood up in surprise. “What? No, no, no, you need to fix things not go back to your weirdo god planet. The longer you leave this the worse it will be.” 

“There is something I must take care of first, it is far more important.” Loki slowly slid out of bed and stood up straight. There was a soft glow of gold that swirled round his body and then he was fully dressed in clothes that would only be fitting for Asgard or a fancy dress party. “I will not be long,” He said, turning back to a stunned Pepper. 

“But what are you going to do?” 

“Solve a problem before it becomes a problem.” 

“WHAT?” Pepper shrieked. “Sometimes I hate you gods, will you just speak plain English and tell me exactly what you’re going to do.” 

“It is you that has brought this to light and I can’t believe I have never considered it before.” Pepper was about to ask what he had never considered before but he saw her opening her mouth and answered her question without her having to ask. “I love Anthony, I love him more than anything and I could never stand to be without him. That is why I broke up with him, because I couldn’t stand the idea of losing him, I almost lost him in the cave and I couldn’t take it again. But now I have a solution.” 

“And that is?” Pepper asked. 

“I will go to the Allfather and demand that he remove my immortality.” Pepper stood frozen in shock, her mouth left gaping. She moved her mouth but no voice came out. “I’d rather spend a few glorious decades with the one I love than spend an eternity without him all the time wondering what could have been.” 

“Good,” Pepper croaked, finally finding her voice. “That’s good...unexpected but good.” The shock was passing and she came back to herself. When she spoke again it was with her usually present firmness and authority. “Now, what are you waiting for? Get going before Tony moves on completely.” 

Loki’s eyes widened then he nodded and smiled. Taking a few steps back from her, he looked up to the ceiling and shouted for Heimdall. There was a blast of light and he was gone, swallowed up by the Bifrost. Left alone, Pepper continued smiling. Loki was prepared to give up his immortality for Tony. Perhaps he really wasn’t that bad after all.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An extra long update, everyone be happy. I just want to say that there are only 3 chapters left now, one of which is the epilogue. Thankyou everyone who has stuck with this story and I hope that you stay tuned until the very end!! Enjoy :)

# Chapter 30

His feet hit the ground hard and he stumbled back a few paces to stop himself from falling down. He had forgotten what it was like to travel by Bifrost, it was an experience he liked but hadn’t missed. With his footing now secure, he raised his eyes to the tall strong figure standing not too far away from him. 

“Heimdall,” Loki said, nodding politely at the gatekeeper. 

“Loki Laufeyson, I didn’t expect to see you again.” 

“So this is a nice surprise then,” the god replied, working hard to keep the forced smile on his face to try not to show his growing unease. 

Heimdall surveyed Loki for a moment, taking in his usual Asgardian garb, his saddened appearance, his pained stance with a quick flick of his eyes. “I would not say that, no. Seeing as on your return, if you ever did return, I was told to alert Asgard to your whereabouts so that you can be escorted to your cell.” 

Loki stood frozen for a second. Then, just as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard the quick footsteps of a group of people approaching. A moment later they came into view and walked straight towards him, weapons raised. He raised his hands in defeat, finally letting the smile slip from his lips so they could settle into a thin line. 

Much to his dismay, the group that had entered were Thor’s much loved friends the lady Sif and the warriors three. They all wore their battle armour and wide grins on their faces as they approached. The grins were not kind, they held none of the joy or pleasure that they would if it was Thor standing in his place. There was pleasure in their smiles, but it was the sick kind of pleasure. The pleasure that people took in causing pain. And they still hadn’t lowered their weapons. 

It was the harsh jangle that caused him to wince. Loki broke eye contact with Fandral to glance down at what he held in his other hand. As Loki’s eyes skimmed down, Fandral smirked before letting the wound up chains fall to the floor. They clattered to the ground but he held one end firmly in his grip. 

“Good to see you Laufeyson.” 

Loki suppressed the hiss that threatened to escape at the mention of his name. The others could see him strain and they all chuckled lightly. 

“I can’t say the same,” Loki replied, working to keep his expression impassive. “It was so nice to not lay my eyes on your repulsive face for so long. But alas, I see it again, and I believe it has grown even more ghastly.” 

“I believe your wit has failed you, your taunts no longer affect me,” Fandral said. “Perhaps spending such long amounts of time around dull mortals you have begun to lose your touch.” 

“I can assure you that most mortals are still far smarter than you.” 

“Hmm I doubt it... and they also lack such basic skills. They were not brought up with the knowledge that Asgardian’s are. They are not taught about the nine realms and about good and evil. They are not instructed on who are monsters and who are not.” Loki’s eyes widened. Thor had told them. How could he have ever done that to him? After all his support and continued habit of calling him brother, how could he tell the people that Loki disliked most about his true parentage? “And they are also not taught how to wield weapons.” 

Fandral stepped forward deftly, thrusting his sword forward with a smooth flourish. The blade stopped a few centimetres away from piercing Loki’s chest. The dark haired god was ashamed to admit that he flinched. 

The warriors three and Sif burst into roars of laughter, clutching each other’s shoulders for support. 

“Oh dear Heimdall please never allow me to forget this day, the day Loki, the god of mischief, flinched at an oncoming attack. Have you forgotten how to fight? Have you lost all your little magic tricks that you used to use? Come on, do something,” Fandral chuckled, shoving Loki harder than necessary in the chest. 

The god’s temper began to rise, and as he was shoved backwards that was the last straw for him. With a quick flick of his wrist there was a loud crack and Fandral fell to his knees, clutching at his nose that was now gushing blood. 

With the initial shock over, Fandral clambered to his feet and glared at Loki before nodding to the others behind him. They nodded back and then marched forward and took hold of Loki, attaching the chains around his body until he was bound and only able to move his neck freely from side to side. His ankles had a chain running between them so when he walked his usual large stride was restricted to a small shuffle. 

“Now that you’re finished, can I actually do what I came here to do?” Loki asked, an unamused expression on his pale face. 

“I don’t think you are in any situation to ask anything of us. We are to take you to your cell where you will remain until someone realises what a waste of space you are and actually makes the right decision to have you executed,” Sif said in response, enjoying the way Loki’s face darkened. 

“But I must speak with the Allfather immediately, it is a very urgent matter,” Loki insisted, trying to stop walking. Every time he did, his chains were given a hard tug and he was forced to stumble forward and keep a good pace. 

“I’m sure he will be thrilled to learn that, except that none of us will tell him.” 

“But I need to, I have to speak with him now. Something terrible could happen and I must stop it.” No one responded or even paid attention to his words. He couldn’t believe what he was about to do but he knew it was one of his only options. “Please, please help me.” 

The warriors three and Sif stopped dead and turned to look at him at the same time, wide smiles firmly back on their faces. 

“Did you just plead with us, Laufeyson?” 

“Yes,” Loki said bitterly. “Please, I need your help. I would not ask if it was not really urgent.” 

“Hmm, well we would help but this is far too fun and really, we don’t want to help you. Your problems are not ours.” 

With that there were no more words said and Loki was left with no hope. Then another idea struck him. It wasn’t very good and very likely wouldn’t work but he had to try. This was for Tony. This was for his love. He needed to fix things. If he was locked up in Asgard there would be no hope and no way to ever even see Tony again. He couldn’t take that. He couldn’t live with the thought of never seeing those beautiful deep brown eyes again. 

Throwing caution to the wind, Loki turned as far as his chains would permit and called back to Heimdall who was watching them walk away down the rainbow bridge. 

“Heimdall please, please tell the Allfather that I must see him. I know you have been watching, I know you know what I know. I know that you have seen what has transpired between him and myself and you have seen how much I care for the mortal. That cannot be faked, so please, please help me. You have heard my words, you know what I want. Please convince the Allfather to speak with me.” 

His chains were tugged harder and he stumbled onto his knees. 

“Stop stalling and come one,” Fandral spat, losing his patience. 

Loki got to his feet and sent one last pleading look to Heimdall before walking along without complaint. 

It wasn’t long until he was thrown unceremoniously into his cell and it was sealed with magic that he could not break. He was left there alone, his only company being the other occupants in their cells around him. He made no effort to talk to them or even to acknowledge their continued screams and taunts at him. Instead he settled in the corner of his new prison and thought about everything he had thrown away. Why had he been so stupid? 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Pepper drove up the drive to Tony’s mansion. She was tired, more than that, she was absolutely shattered but she couldn’t stop. She had to get back to Tony and make sure he hadn’t blown anything up or hurt himself. Rhodey had never messaged her that he had arrived so she wasn’t sure what to expect when she got inside. 

Opening the glass front door quietly, she slipped inside and removed her heels. This was for two reasons. One, because they made a loud noise when she walked on the wooden floor and she didn’t want to draw Tony’s attention to the fact that she was back yet. And two, he feet hurt from wearing them for hours on end and she really needed a rest from them. 

A sigh escaped her lips as she slid her feet out of the constricting shoes. She lined them up neatly by the door and walked off into the house, her feet only making soft pattering sounds rather than loud clicks. She entered into the living room and saw Tony exactly how she had left him. He was in the exact same clothes, the exact same position, the only thing different was the increase in the amount empty bottles that surrounded him. Tears fought to cloud her vision but she forced them away. Now wasn’t the time for emotions. 

A noise came from behind her. Turning her head, she realised it had come from the kitchen. Moving closer, she entered the overly large room and found Rhodey preparing a sandwich. 

“When I arrived here I wasn’t expecting that.” He jabbed his thumb in the general direction of Tony. “Warn me next time before I come here and find him a wreck.” Rhodey kept his voice low as he spoke. 

“I’m sorry, my head was everywhere and I needed someone here quickly, someone he trusted. I thought maybe you could talk to him.” 

“Talk to him? He’s been pissed the whole time, and when he’s not drinking he’s sleeping it off. I haven’t been able to get one sensible word out of him, I don’t even know what’s going on. I’ve tried to get him to stop drinking but he won’t, I try taking the bottles away but that went badly too. He threw one straight at me, I only just managed to dodge before it shattered. What the hell is going on? Is it because of what just happened in the cave?” 

“Umm not entirely, no. Just sit down.” He followed Pepper’s words and took a seat on one side of the kitchen island while she sat opposite him. “What do you know of Loki?” 

Rhodey was silent for a moment, thinking. “Not much, he was the one that lead the alien invasion thingy, he sorta caused Tony to have his panic attacks and after his trial he was sent to the Avengers tower.” 

“Well he was also taken just like Tony was a month ago. From what I’ve heard I think Tony was taken because of Loki.” A puzzled look crossed Rhodey’s face but he said nothing, letting Pepper continue. “You don’t know this yet but Tony and Loki have been err...involved with eachother...they are in a relationship...well were.” 

“What!” Rhodey shouted then lowered his volume. “What? I’m confused. Tony is, sorry was dating crazy god Loki. Why? When? What? How come he never told me?” 

“Probably because of the reaction, it’s safe to admit I didn’t take it well.” Rhodey chuckled quietly but stopped when she glared at him. “They got together about three or four months ago, I don’t know the why’s behind it but I know that Tony was happy which is probably why he is a mess now. Loki ended it between them.” 

“Good,” Rhodey said bluntly. Pepper sent him another look. “Well obviously not because he’s now pissed twenty-four seven and hasn’t showered in three days but it is good because it’s a weird relationship.” 

“Yeah I used to think that too.” 

“What changed?” 

“I did, my opinion of them did. At first I thought it was disgusting and I hated Loki even more than before. But over time I started to see how happy Tony was and how much he cared for Loki and now I’ve seen just how much Loki cares for Tony in return and I know that I was wrong.” Pepper paused, staring at the table top. “I was jealous and angry and lashed out unnecessarily at Loki, I hadn’t realised then that people can change. That no one is past the point of being saved. Tony saved Loki and in return Loki fixed Tony. He completed him.” 

“That’s deep and I’m not sure I believe you but right now that’s not the problem. The problem is that they have broken up and Tony is most likely going to die of alcohol poisoning.” 

That’s the moment that Pepper smiled. She didn’t feel like smiling, she was far too tired for emotions but it found its way onto her face and stayed there without her trying to stop it. 

“That’s where Loki comes in. I’ve spoken to him and he knows he has been an idiot, I don’t know why it took me talking to him to figure it out but it did. Anyway, he has gone back to Asgard and all we have to do is stall Tony for as long as possible until Loki gets back.” 

“So what, he wants Tony back?” Pepper nodded, the smile still on her face. “Then why is he in Asspark or whatever it is?” 

“That’s his business but he will be back soon. All we have to do is wait for him. Okay?” 

It was Rhodey’s turn to nod. He didn’t really have any idea what was going on but if Loki getting back with Tony would stop Tony drinking then he didn’t care. All he wanted was for his friend to be safe and happy. 

He and Pepper headed in silence back to the living room where Tony was still passed out on the sofa. His breathing was even and he occasionally twitched in his sleep. But apart from that he looked fairly peaceful. If they could see inside his head then they could see his nightmares of Loki leaving repeat over and over again. Each time they were different. Each time they got worse until the scene was totally distorted and hot tears streaked down his cheeks, escaping from his closed eyes. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

His cell was cold. That was all Loki could really focus on. He had brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them in order to conserve heat but it wasn’t working very well. Another shiver. No one had yet been passed him and had actually acknowledged him. The guards continued on their rounds without pausing. Odin had not come to see him nor had he sent someone to fetch him. 

The hours were dragging by and he had no idea if they had passed into days or not. Is this what his eternity was supposed to be like? Is this how he was supposed to spend the rest of forever? 

He heard footsteps approaching and assumed it was the guards passing again. However, the footsteps stopped by his cell but he didn’t look up. Not until he heard the soft hiss of magic and his gaze suddenly snapped to the barrier trapping him within. It was gone. There was no more shimmering gold surrounding him. 

“Loki,” A woman breathed, taking a step closer to him. 

Loki’s heart leapt and he was unexpectedly taken over by a strong wave of hope. Frigga. His mother stood not two metres away from him with her arms outstretched. Springing to his feet, he took three steps forward before being pulled into her arms. He wrapped his own tightly around her small frame while she clung to him, desperately willing for her sobs to stop. 

“I have missed you Loki, but why have you returned? You knew that you could not come back.” Frigga had pulled back and was now staring at him from arms length, her hands still holding his tightly. 

“And I have missed you mother. I did not plan on returning then circumstances changed and I had to return because I must speak to the Allfather.” 

“Your father? What for?” Loki cringed slightly at the use of the word father. Hurt filled Frigga’s eyes but she made no comment at his behaviour. “Heimdall alerted me to your presence in Asgard and how you were arrested. He told me that you had something of urgency to say.” 

Finding out that Heimdall had heeded his words and contacted someone had him eternally grateful to the guard. Though Loki had never taken kindly to him, he had obviously forgiven Loki for certain crimes if he was able to look past them and help him in his hour of need. Loki smiled at the thought of Heimdall helping him. With the gatekeeper watching he knew he was never truly alone. With Tony he was never alone either. That was how he managed to pull himself back to reality and concentrate on the matter at hand. 

“Mother I would tell you of my problem but I would much rather speak with the Allfather first. If I tell you now you may try and talk me out of it and I cannot have your emotion playing on my heart while we discuss this because it will be hard enough as it is.” 

“Loki you are worrying me. Please tell me.” 

The raven haired god sighed heavily and held his mother’s hands even tighter. “Please take me to the Allfather now so that we can talk.” She opened her mouth to protest but he shushed her. “If he allows it then you can stay with us while we talk, do you find that more acceptable?” 

Frigga nodded and smiled slightly before dropping one of his hands so that she only held one. She then began to lead him off down the corridor until they reached a flight of stairs that led to the upper floors of the palace. 

“We must be quick and quiet. The Aesir will not take kindly to you if you are seen.” 

They hurried along more corridors and flights of stairs. Luckily they passed no one except a serving girl that Frigga made swear to secrecy. Soon enough they came to a stop outside a room that Loki knew all too familiarly, Odin’s study. 

Frigga raised her fist to knock then dropped it, turning back to her son. “Try to be civil please, I do not know what you want but there is a good chance he will not grant it. Just do not react to harshly towards him, he is the king and cannot be seen granting favours to banished god’s, even one of his son’s.” 

Loki knew her words were wise but he did not have to like them. It made him angry that she was asking for him to be civil when it was Odin that had caused a lot of the arguments between them throughout the years. Still, he nodded and she raised her hand again and rapped her knuckled three times on the door. 

A voice from within told them to enter. Frigga squeezed his hand reassuringly as he took a large breath, forcing his nerves down and his head up. As they both walked into the room the scratching of Odin’s pen went quiet as he laid eyes on his new company. 

“Loki,” He said, standing up from behind his desk. 

“Allfather,” Loki responded. 

“Why are you here? You were warned about what would happen if you returned.” 

“I have come to ask something of you. I would not have made the journey if I did not deem it an extremely urgent matter.” 

Odin made a gesture with his hands. “Then please continue with your request.” 

Taking one last fleeting glance at his mother, Loki committed her expression to memory, knowing that once he spoke again he would only see sorrow in her eyes after she knew what he wanted. 

“I wish to be made mortal.” 

He had said it. The words were out and the room was totally silent. No one even breathed. 

“Loki, my darling, please tell me this is not true,” Frigga whispered. 

“I cannot tell you that for it would not be true. This is my wish, this is what I have come to Asgard to ask.” 

“But why?” This time the question came from Odin. His expression was unreadable and made Loki slightly uneasy. 

“As you know already I have been in a relationship with a mortal man by the name of Anthony Stark. Since we last spoke that has developed into love and I have now realised that I cannot stand an eternity without him.” 

“Why do you not request for him to be made immortal? I believed that that would have been your wish instead.” 

“I would never ask him to make that choice and I know he wouldn’t want it. To outlive ones friends that are in ways closer than family is not nice and I wouldn’t want him to face that. Eternity’s are a long time and can feel longer with no one else except the one you love. I want to spend a few beautiful years with my love and my friends and live as they live with the knowledge that life will end and you will be at peace. I do not think death as bad and life as a mortal is even less so. There’s hardly a difference between us and them and us to think we are above them is wrong.” 

“You have changed much Loki since you have lived on Midgard.” 

“I have,” Loki agreed. There was a long pause. “So what is your decision?” 

Odin took a long time to answer, choosing instead to stare out the window to his left. When he did speak again there was a change in his tone of voice, it was softer. “Though this will break your mother’s heart and mine in the process I have decided to grant you this request.” 

Frigga stifled a cry from behind them and Loki found he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He was filled with joy that Odin had agreed but he was also saddened that Frigga was so upset. 

“I have never been a good father to you and I know that. We, as a family, were never able to make you truly happy but with this man you are truly happy and I cannot deny you that. You have a right to be happy as well and if this aids you then I am willing to accept it. By making you mortal does not break laws as you will still be living on Midgard which is where you were banished too but you know it will have consequences, you know that without your immortality means that your magic will lack. You will not have the power you do now but the change will not be too great and when it gets close to your death you will no longer be able to control your Jotun form and you will take its form as you live out your final days.” 

Loki nodded, already knowing these factors. They hardly bothered him. Tony had been the one to convince him that he was not a monster and that his Jotun heritage was nothing to hate. 

“Thankyou,” Loki said quietly. 

Odin could hear the sincerity in his voice and smiled. Though Loki had suffered much and changed until he was only a shadow of his former self, Odin could see clearly now how he had fought his way back. He wasn’t the same as when he was younger and innocent but he was older now and wiser. He knew of his mistakes and had made amends. He had learned to love and realised that the opposite of love wasn’t hate, it was indifference. He no longer felt that Loki hated him and that made him happier than he could say because he knew he deserved to be hated. 

One man was to thank for this and that was Anthony Stark. He had saved his son’s life without even knowing it and Odin was forever grateful. With this man he knew that Loki would live well and die happy.


	32. Chapter 31

# Chapter 31

“But what about us Loki? what about your family?” 

Loki closed his eyes then reopened them, turning to look at Frigga who was staring at him with tears in her eyes. 

“Mother I do not want to hurt you but I have another family now. It is smaller and very dysfunctional but it is my own and I feel a part of it. Though I love you very much that is not enough of a reason to change my mind.” 

His mother gasped for breath, unable to reply because of the sobs raking through here body. Odin stepped over to her and took her in his arms so that she was crying into his shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly and muttered soft words of reassurance to her. Loki stood to the side, unsure of what to do. 

He was the cause of this and he knew that. He knew this would haunt his mother forever but it was his choice, his life, and he fought hard against the guilt that was forming in the pit of his stomach. All he wanted right now was to be beside Tony. Just to know that he would be waiting for him to come back was enough. But he didn’t know that. When he did finally get back to Midgard he wasn’t even sure if Tony would take him back. What if he didn’t? What if Loki was doomed to spend his mortal life alone, forced to watch Tony move on and find another that didn’t break his heart over something so stupid? 

A wave of nausea washed over the dark haired god and he stumbled to a nearby chair, suddenly unstable on his feet. Frigga glanced up at the noise and saw her son looking far paler than usual. She noticed his shaking hands and saddened eyes and realised that it wasn’t the time for her tears. It would be her time to grieve when the moment would come where Loki would actually move on from this world but for now she needed to be there for him. He was giving up a lot for a very small chance. He was giving up everything for one person. 

“Loki,” She whispered, kneeling in front of him. 

He raised his head and met her gaze. “What if he doesn’t forgive me? What if I am to live out my days alone?” 

The way he spoke was so slow and cautious, almost as though he was scared of voicing his concerns. As though putting them into words would seal his fate and that they would definitely come to pass. 

“What if he finally realises that I am not worthy of his love? What if he realises what a fool he has been to ever love me?” 

“Stop this now,” Frigga scolded, but it was not said harshly. She continued to speak with her soft yet commanding voice. “You deserve love, never even think that you don’t. Never doubt this man’s love for you either. It is clear to me that he adores you and I am sure that he will take you back in a heartbeat. If, however, he does not then you must learn to live with that. It will be tough but you are strong and I am sure you will be fine.” 

Loki wanted to thank her but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Instead he gave her a small smile and got back to his feet, relieved that his legs supported his weight. He turned to Odin who was standing a few steps behind Frigga. 

“Will it take long? Removing my immortality?” 

“It will take some time, yes but not too long. You will be back on Midgard soon. We must separate your immortality from your magic which can be very uncomfortable but after that the process is quite smooth.” 

“Good,” Loki whispered, subconsciously counting every second that he was away from Tony. When he next spoke his voice was back to its normal strength. “Shall we get started?” 

Odin nodded and lead the way out of the room, Frigga trailing behind. She stopped in the doorway and slumped against the frame, tears welling in her eyes once more. A hand wrapped around her own ad she looked up to meet sparkling green eyes. 

“Come on mother, everything will be okay,” Loki smiled. 

She smiled back and followed Odin down the corridor outside, holding tightly to Loki’s hand. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

Pepper tapped her foot impatiently and bit her lip. It was not a habit she liked to indulge in but she always seemed to do it whenever she was particularly stressed. At this moment, she was very stressed. Loki had promised that he would be back soon and yet it had been two days. In those two days Tony had gotten worse and it hadn’t been a gradual process either. 

When she had arrived back in Malibu Tony had been awake and at his most sober for the whole period of time. This also meant he was in control so when he started throwing all the bottles lying around him so they shattered across the floor, Pepper knew that Loki needed to get back quickly. Tony shouted abuse at her and Rhodey before he settled back with more alcohol until he was again passed out on the sofa. 

While he was unconscious, the two tidied the living room, sweeping up the broken glass and removing the unbroken ones so that when he awoke again there wouldn’t be any immediate danger. Still, they had no idea what to do. It seemed that drunk Tony was a better Tony than sober Tony at the moment. At least when he was totally out of it he wasn’t able to remember why he was drunk in the first place. 

“How’s he doing?” 

Pepper jumped, her heart thumping heavily in her chest. She turned round and looked at Rhodey who was standing behind her. 

“He’s just the same as before. He’s still sleeping at the moment.” 

“What are we gunna do about him?” 

“We don’t have to do anything except make sure that he’s still alive and relatively unharmed by the time Loki gets back.” 

“And when will that be?” Rhodey asked impatiently. 

Pepper shrugged. “Soon.” 

Rhodey sighed and walked over to Tony, sitting on the sofa opposite the one he was sleeping on. 

Pepper left, planning on getting some rest, knowing that Rhodey would look after Tony, when she heard a loud rush of air and a bright flash of light from outside. Picking up speed, she ran to the front door and opened it gingerly, peering outside. He eyes fell on Loki standing in the middle of the driveway and looking extremely drained. 

She hurried over to him and he just stared down at her, looking like he was about to topple over. 

“He’s inside, but he’s...err...he’s sleeping,” Pepper said, answering Loki’s unsaid question. 

Giving a brief nod as a reply, Loki brushed passed her and walked into the house. As he stepped over the threshold he hesitated. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he went in there but he knew this would be the deciding conversation of his now shorter life. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly through his mouth and walked into the house. 

He headed straight for the living room and found Tony asleep on the sofa and another man sitting opposite him. The man was dark skinned and, as he entered, sent Loki a calculating look. It wasn’t full of hate, it was more curious but there was an underlying bitterness to it. 

“You must be Loki. I recognise you from TV,” he said, standing up. “I’m James Rhodes, Tony’s friend.” 

“We’ve met I believe, you were just unaware it was me at the time. You saw Tony and I eating at a restaurant but I was in the form of a woman.” 

“That was you. God well I suppose it all makes sense now.” There was a pause. “So what are you going to do now?” 

“I’m going to talk to Tony.” Loki glanced down at his sleeping form. “I just have to wake him first.” 

“Right okay. Actually not okay I need to talk to you first.” 

Rhodey gave him a pointed look then marched into the kitchen, hoping that Loki would follow him. He did. As soon as they were out of earshot of the kitchen, Rhodey rounded on Loki with an angry yet determined expression on his face. 

“Listen to me, I don’t really know you but from what you did to New York I don’t like you. However Tony does, hell he fucking loves you and has been a mess since you broke up with him. When you go in there and you beg for him to take you back and he does because he is a good person, you better be bloody grateful and keep in mind that if you hurt him like that again I will find you and you will regret ever coming to this planet in the first place. Hopefully Tony will have half a brain and not take you back but I don’t have much hope for that considering he’s never been this crazy about someone before and I don’t think he wants to throw it away yet.” Rhodey paused for breath and sent Loki another death stare. “Do you understand?” 

“Yes Mr Rhodes, I understand perfectly and if Tony takes me back I have no intention of breaking his heart again. I was a fool to let him go in the first place,” Loki said softly. 

Rhodey nodded firmly then gave a small smile. “Just go put a smile back on his face please, I hate seeing him like this.” 

“I will try.” 

With that Loki left the kitchen where Rhodey remained. He wanted to be close enough in case things got bad but not in the same room because this was between them and it was up to them to sort it out. Though he didn’t like Loki, he trusted him to a degree and after what Pepper had told him of their relationship and of his attitudes towards humans since he attempted world domination, he didn’t seem too bad. Well looks could be deceiving. This wasn’t his business no matter how much he wanted it to be. This was Tony’s private life and he hadn’t been invited to get involved so he wasn’t going to interfere. 

Approaching the arm of the sofa, Loki bent down in front of Tony so they were face to face. He shuffled back slightly before he roused the man, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be wise to be too close. 

“Anthony,” Loki said softly. When he didn’t respond, he said it louder, pushing on his arm lightly. Still nothing. “Anthony, please wake up.” 

Tony’s eyelids fluttered then he opened his eyes, but they were no wider than small slits. It was clear he was still mostly unconscious. 

“Oh fuck...” Tony mumbled. “I thought we had a deal.” 

“What? Anthony, wake up.” 

“I’m trying, it’s not working. Shit, we had a deal. The drink was supposed to stop this crap.” Tony’s eyes started to water and his voice started to rise in pitch, becoming more hysterical. 

“Anthony?” Loki tried but was cut off by Tony. “No shut the hell up. You ended it and now all I want to do is sleep in piece and drink till I can’t remember. Is that too much to ask? Leave me alone.” 

Loki sat stunned for a moment. Would Tony really say this? Would he lie there and tell Loki to leave? No, Loki didn’t believe that he would. Though he might not want to forgive him, Tony still would want to hear him out. The drink and sleep was talking now. The genius didn’t know what he was saying. He was still in a world of his own invention. Or perhaps he didn’t believe what he was seeing. Maybe he thought that this was his minds creation and Loki wasn’t really there. 

He tried again to reason with Tony, to wake him from his current state but it was to no avail. Tony was determined to not see the truth that Loki was actually in front of him. Sighing in annoyance, Loki got back up and strode back into the kitchen. A stunned expression crossed Rhodey’s face as Loki entered and Pepper sent him a questioning look. Apparently she had joined him just after Loki had left. 

He went over to the sink and opened up the cupboards surrounding it until he came across one filled with glasses and mugs. Snatching a particularly large glass off the self, he promptly shut the door and filled it to the brim with water. A few drops splashed over the top as he walked back into the living room, his pace slower to keep his hand steady. 

When he reached Tony, he looked down at him. He was fast asleep once again. Loki let out a huff of breath knowing he would be made to regret this later but for now he did not care, he needed Tony to wake up so they could have a serious conversation. 

In his head he counted down from three, once he reached zero he tipped the glass on its side and poured its entire contents over Tony’s head. The genius spluttered and gasped, jerking forward and springing to his feet, raising his arms in an attempt of defence against his unknown attacker. He used his sleeves to mop at his face, drying up the worst and rubbing his eyes so that he was actually able to see. When his dark brown eyes fixed on Loki his movements faltered. He didn’t say a word, just stared at the god in front of him. 

“You’re awake,” Loki commented, not able to keep the small smirk off his face. 

“Yeah, no thanks to you. You know it’s dangerous to wake someone like that. I could’ve died from the shock,” Tony replied angrily. “Not that you would care,” he muttered as an afterthought. 

Loki’s face fell. “What?” 

Tony didn’t bother repeating himself, knowing full well that Loki heard him. Instead he chose to ask his own question. 

“What the hell are you doing here anyway? Isn’t this.” He gestured between them. “Breaking some kind of rule or something?” 

Tony was definitely pissed, Loki could tell that without even hearing him speak. His breathing was hard and his face was set in a passive expression but his eyes gave him away. They were ablaze with emotion, the brown becoming a swirl of different shades, each one a different emotion. The darkest shades were the hurt, the pain, the anger, the resentment. The unwillingness to forget and the battle to forget, the part that writhed at every memory, at every brief thought. The lightest shades, the ones that reminded Loki of dark rich honeys, were the joy, the good memories, the relief. The hope. Loki clung to those, finding a way to not see the dark side, wishing more than anything that he could find the words he needed to say. 

“There are no rules and I came here of my own choice.” 

“Well it’s my own choice for you to leave please. I think everything will be easier that way, you were the one to start this so I don’t know why you’re having such a problem sticking to it. Just...shut the doors on your way out.” 

Tony turned on his heel and headed towards the opposite side of the room, his back deliberately turned to Loki. He didn’t like seeing those eyes. They were ever so green. They were the shade of Loki and the shade of home and he couldn’t allow himself to be lost in them and forget everything so suddenly. 

“Anthony will you please just listen to me?” 

“Listen to you? You just barged into my house and threw water over me, would you want to talk to the person that did that to you?” 

“I just need to say something, will you please just listen for a few minutes. That’s all I ask and then I’ll be gone. You won’t see me again, I promise.” 

Tony felt a cool hand wrap around his wrist. Loki must have walked across to him while his back was turned, his footsteps were always so quiet. Turning to face him, he realised how close they were, almost chest to chest. Clearing his throat quietly, he took a step back. 

“Okay shoot, but make it quick, I have things to do.” 

“What? Get drunk?” Loki hadn’t meant to say it but it had just slipped out. 

Tony’s expression darkened and he pushed past Loki hard, strutting to the other side of the room so there was a big enough gap between them again. 

“What I do in my spare time has nothing to do with you. Now say what you wanted to say.” 

Inside, Loki felt all his hope melting away. Tony was never going to forgive him. He was so angry and bitter and hurt that it was impossible for Loki to even think about fixing him. Still, he might as well give it a try. There was nothing left to lose. 

“I did what I thought was right when I ended our relationship. I thought that it was best that we lived our separate lives because ever since I entered yours I’ve brought nothing but pain and destruction. You do not deserve that, you deserve love that doesn’t come with these added extras. By ending it I thought that I could protect you, that you would no longer be in danger because I can’t handle the thought of you getting hurt.” 

“You just don’t get it do you?” Tony interrupted, walking forward. Loki frowned. Well that answered Tony’s question. “There is no one else. The Chitauri are gone, yeah they could come back but not for a long time. Thanos is dead and buried. You don’t need to blame yourself for everything. You never asked for Thanos to enslave you after you fell off the rainbow bridge.” Tony met Loki’s intense gaze and lowered his voice when he spoke again. “And you don’t need to protect me, I don’t blame you for bringing all this alien shit to Earth. You can’t handle the thought of me being hurt, well maybe it’s the same for me. Loki, if you ever get hurt it will drive me crazy. I will do anything possible...anything to keep you safe. When you were taken from the cell back in that cave and I heard your screams I almost broke my own bones trying to get to you.” 

His voice faded away and he closed his eyes for a second before reopening them. Resolutely, he stared at the floor, not being able to look Loki in the face again. 

“I went back to Asgard.” 

Tony’s heart thudded to a standstill for the briefest second. Asgard. Odin. Did that mean what Tony thought it meant? Was this only a goodbye? Was Loki being taken back to Asgard to face punishment for the crimes that so far had been mostly overlooked? He couldn’t handle this. This couldn’t be goodbye. He wasn’t ready to say it. Though he was angry and hurt, he loved Loki and could easily forgive him. He understood Loki’s reasons for ending their relationship and probably would have done the same if it was the other way around. And he too would have also found himself at a similar meeting like this, trying desperately to make amends. No. He couldn’t lose Loki. He refused. 

“Why?” He asked, voice shaky. 

“I had to speak with the Allfather. I have to-“ 

Loki’s words were cut off by Tony’s lips crashing hard into his own, shutting him up with a kiss. At first he was stunned but soon relaxed into the familiar movement, their lips working gently against the others. Tony was first to break the kiss. He left their foreheads pressed together so they were eye to eye and close enough that they shared the same breath. 

“Please don’t say it. Don’t tell me your leaving, Loki you can’t.” 

A huff of laughter escaped Loki. “I am not leaving Anthony.” 

“Then...what?” 

“Please don’t freak out.” 

“Why would I?” 

“I gave up my immortality.” 

Tony froze. He didn’t breath, he didn’t even blink. Loki searched his eyes desperately for something, anything that would indicate Tony’s thoughts but they were blank. Utterly blank. Then suddenly Tony’s hands were in his hair pulling him in for another searing kiss. Loki gasped into his mouth. It took far longer for them to break apart this time. They were both totally lost in the moment. It had been too long. Much too long since they had had their lips on the other. 

“You’re such an idiot,” Tony murmured between kisses. 

“Am I?” Loki whispered into his ear as Tony nipped and kissed his jaw. 

“Yeah you fucking are but you’re lucky I love you because otherwise you would suck living as a human. It’s good you have me to help you.” 

Loki felt his heart swell and a smile blossomed on his face that lit up his eyes in a way that only Tony could cause. 

“Indeed. And it’s also lucky that I love you.” 

“Why’s that?” Tony smiled. 

“Because I’m the only one who can put up with your annoying habits without wanting to always hit you.” 

“You threw me out a window once.” 

“A moment I can see you will never forget.” 

“Not ever,” Tony replied. “Now enough talk.” 

If Loki wanted to talk he was unable to because he was once again drawn into another kiss that didn’t end until they were in the bedroom with the door firmly shut. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“What do you think is happening? Have they made up?” Rhodey asked impatiently, his ear pressed against the kitchen door. 

A door slammed in the distance. 

“I’m guessing yes,” Pepper replied. “Now I would advise that we both leave before you are scarred for life. Trust me, you will wish you didn’t have ears in a minute.” 

Realisation dawned on Rhodey’s face and he nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes let’s leave now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the delay. My school thought it would be fun to spring more mocks on us and double homework levels. Okay so everything's happy again, now there's only one more chapter and then the epilogue. Hope to see you there. Please review?! :)


	33. Chapter 32

# Chapter 32

Slamming the door shut with a swift kick from his foot, Tony pushing Loki back against it, kissing him deeply and running his hands over the god’s toned body. It had been too long, far too long since he had touched Loki’s body, had felt him writhe beneath his touch. It had been too long since he had kissed him on the lips or even held him close. It had been too long since he had even spoken to Loki properly, without bitterness or depression clouding his thoughts and turning his words into cold fury so all he spat was vile nothings. But now wasn’t the time for talking. It was the time for rediscovery. 

Somehow they found their way onto the bed. Loki fell back against the mattress, his hair fanning out across the pillows, his lips dark red and swollen. Climbing on top of him, Tony straddled his hips and gently rocked forward feeling Loki tense beneath him before the god let out a breathless moan and dug his fingers into his hips, making him push down harder. Tony swore quietly under his breath at the sudden contact and he felt himself harden further. 

Not wasting any more time, he tugged his shirt over his head and threw it to the side where is landed in a heap on the floor. Loki’s immediately followed. He sat up, forcing Tony to shuffle back slightly, and whipped his own shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor. As soon as he turned his head he was met with a kiss. Tony ran his tongue against Loki’s lips, silently asking for entrance which he eagerly granted. His tongue darted forward, licking into Loki’s mouth causing him to moan, moving his own against Tony’s. 

Loki raised his hands from Tony’s hips, running them over his bare back and up to his shoulders where he massaged the skin before breaking the kiss and pressing his lips all over his neck and shoulder blades. At random intervals he stopped and sucked until there was a reddened mark, he then ran his tongue over the same spot before moving on to a new location. He languidly made his way down Tony’s chest until he could no longer reach any lower from his position. 

Pushing on the genius’s chest, he urged him backwards. Soon it was Tony who was lying down with Loki straddling him instead. The god continued his ministrations, leaving marks all the way down his stomach but when he reached the edge of Tony’s jeans he quickly undid the zipper, easing them off his hips and down his legs before dropping them to the floor, his own followed suit so there was only the thin fabric of their underwear keeping their straining erections apart. 

Rolling his hips forward, he started a steady rhythm between them. Tony raising his own into each thrust forward, allowing the pleasure to wash over him and make him forget everything except Loki. He was back. They were going to be okay. Everything was fine. Loki’s pace started to increase and his breathing quickened, punctured every few seconds by soft whines and gasps when Tony thrust up particularly hard. 

“God, Loki please,” Tony moaned when Loki leant forward and licked over his nipples before sucking them gently. 

The god raised his head then moved off Tony. He made slow work of removing his underwear, enjoying the way Tony watched him hungrily, his eyes darkened with lust. As Loki moved back to the bed, he fought his way out of his own boxers. Now they were both naked and when Loki straddled him again, rocking forward, they both let out moans of pleasure. The feeling of skin on skin was almost too much. 

Fumbling with a draw beside his bed, Tony pulled out a small bottle and handed it to Loki. His pupils were impossibly wide and he was breathing heavily as he met that intense emerald gaze. “Now. Fuck Loki I need you. Please.” He wrapped his fingers around Loki’s cock and squeezed, pumping it a few times to emphasise what he wanted. 

Loki swore under his breath, biting his lip so as not to let out the loud moan that threatened to escape. He uncapped the bottle and poured some of the liquid onto his fingers. Reaching down between their bodies, he circled Tony’s entrance before pushing inside. The genius fell back against the mattress and arched his back up as Loki thrust his finger in a steady rhythm. After a minute or so he added another, scissoring them, stretching Tony. Finally he added a third. By this point Tony was moaning wantonly, moving with Loki’s fingers until they hit that spot inside him that had him seeing stars. 

When he was getting close, Loki pulled out earning a frustrated groan from Tony. He poured more lube onto his fingers and ran them over his hard cock. He positioned himself, linking their fingers together before pushing in. He shut his eyes and let out a shuddering gasp as the sensation of impossible heat washed over him. 

Spreading Tony’s legs, Loki settled comfortably between them, resting his forehead against Tony’s as he slowly rocked forward, thrusting in and out. Tony unlinked their fingers and carefully brushed Loki’s hair back behind his ear. He wanted to see his face as he lost himself in the pleasure. As he totally forgot everything that had happened between them and all their mistakes. Loki brought his own hand up and put it over the one that was caressing his face. He smiled and gripped Tony’s hand firmly, increasing the pace, enjoying the way Tony threw his head back and groaned loudly. 

They were both so close, their breathing becoming laboured and their pulse beating erratically just beneath their skin. Loki sucked gently on Tony’s neck and changed the angle of his thrusts. With one final thrust that hit that perfect spot, Tony let out a muffled scream and came apart as Loki held his cock in his hand and pumped it in time with his thrusts. A few seconds later Loki went over the edge as well. He buried his head into Tony’s neck and muttered swears as he rode out his own orgasm. 

Both totally exhausted and coming down from their high, they pulled the sheets out from under themselves and covered their bodies. Loki curled into Tony’s side, resting his head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat as it returned to normal. 

“I thought you hated the idea of being mortal. You thought that we were just petty humans that were weak with no purpose.” 

“I did,” Loki said quietly. “But after spending almost two years in constant contact with five of the most frustrating humans you start to change your mind, and anyway, I hated the idea of being without you more.” 

“I love you,” Tony whispered, combing through Loki’s hair with his fingers. 

“I know,” Loki replied. 

“Have you been watching star wars?” Tony smiled. 

“What?” 

“Never mind,” He breathed, wrapping an arm around Loki’s waist, pulling him closer. 

There was a few minutes of comfortable silence where they both just listened to the others steady breathing. 

“You know I love you too, don’t you?” 

“Yeah I know,” Tony mumbled, feeling Loki’s smile against his skin. There was another pause. When Tony spoke again Loki was already half asleep. “How does it feel being mortal?” 

“Peaceful,” Loki sighed. 

Tony smiled into his hair. Closing his eyes, he drifted asleep almost instantly. 

WWWWWWWWWW 

“Well thank fuck for that,” Clint grinned, patting Loki and Tony on the back. “I knew you two could work things out.” 

A few days had passed since Loki and Tony had been reunited and sorted out their issues. The previous day they had returned to the avenger’s tower where the team waited expectantly for them both. It seemed that Pepper had warned them about what was going on but hadn’t told them if everything had been resolved or not. When they arrived it was not long past midnight and the entire tower was quiet. They went straight up to Tony’s floor where they settled into bed and awoke hours later when Clint came tumbling into their room, totally unannounced. 

He had no time to talk because Tony launched all the pillows from the bed at his head until he left the room, closing the door with a soft snap. Not too long later Loki traipsed out of their room, dragging a disgruntled Tony out behind him. There were whoops and cheers as the couple approached and Loki couldn’t help a small smile. 

“Oh shut up Legolas...and if you ever wake me up again I will snap every single one of your arrows and put them in places you can’t even reach.” 

“Nice try Tony, your threats don’t bother me anymore and I’m sure your boyfriend would stop you.” 

“Would I?” Loki asked curiously, pouring himself a cup of tea. 

“Yeah, I mean you’re on my side, right?” 

“Side? I don’t choose sides and considering you woke me up as well I would be running as fast as I could if I were you.” 

Clint stuck his middle finger up at them both before buttering some toast. He took a bite and chewed deliberately loud. The others all exchanged glances until Natasha said, “Fine I’ll do it.” 

Stepping forward, she swiped Clint’s remaining toast from his hand and dropped it unceremoniously into the bin. He let out a cry somewhere between pain and rage, lunging towards her in an attempt at saving his breakfast. 

“I may never speak to you again,” Clint said blankly. Natasha just laughed and kissed him hard on the lips. He seemed to instantly forget about his lost breakfast as he immediately responded, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. 

“Wow wow wow, keep it PG guys. Think of the kids,” Tony cried, slapping his hand over Steve’s eyes. 

Steve pushed him away. “Get off Tony.” 

“Anthony let them enjoy themselves, it’s not like you wouldn’t take the opportunity.” 

“But Loki the difference is that this is my tower so my rules, and anyway if it was me then it’s okay because, as you would say, I do what I want.” 

Rolling his eyes, Loki pulled Tony close and placed a kiss on his lips. In no time the kiss had deepened until they were in a world of their own. Even Natasha and Clint pulled apart to stare at them incredulously. 

“Brother please,” Thor said, looking pained as he glanced at them. “Suddenly I am put off my breakfast.” He nudged the cereal bowl away so it wasn’t directly in front of him. 

Breaking the kiss, Loki shot him a pleased grin, returning to sipping his tea. Tony just stood beside him looking slightly too pleased with himself. Bruce and Steve exchanged looks, totally unsurprised by everything that had just transpired. It really seemed that everything was back to normal. Thor just sat at the kitchen island staring into his cereal bowl, considering whether or not if he still wanted it. Deciding that his brother making out with his friend in front of him could have been far worse, he grabbed his spoon and started shovelling heaped spoonfuls into his mouth. 

“So is this you guys like becoming official?” Tony asked, watching Clint and Natasha. He could have sworn a light blush darkened Natasha’s cheeks ever so slightly. 

“Um, yeah I guess,” Clint said tentatively, his usual buoyancy changed to something more quiet and nervous. Then his voice was back to its normal tone and volume. “But don’t be a dick now you know, I’m looking at you here Tony. Don’t make jokes or anything, why do you think we kept quiet for so long?” 

“Why me? Come on, he of little faith. Seriously man I’m happy for you.” 

Everyone looked at Tony, shocked by the sincerity in his voice. Even he seemed taken aback by his own words. Shrugging, he waved his hand vaguely and poured himself some coffee. 

“I feel like there should be some kind of celebration here.” 

“Isn’t it a bit early to be drinking?” Steve asked. 

“Live a little, Cap.” 

“Hmm no I think Steve’s right Tony. Remember the last time there was any kind of celebration, it was the night before Bruce’s wedding and you all ended up in dresses. You hadn’t even had that much to drink which made it so much worse,” Natasha laughed, remembering the night happily. 

Bruce groaned at the memory and Steve and Tony whined in protest, wishing that even hadn’t been brought up. On the other hand, Loki and Thor both met each other’s eyes, wide grins on their faces. A hint of mischief sparkled in Loki’s eyes. 

“No, yeah I agree. I know that look in your eyes,” Tony said, pointing at Loki. “Let’s not celebrate, I’m actually worried as to what would happen.” 

“Come on Anthony, live a little,” Loki replied, succeeding in doing a good impression of Tony. 

Tony rolled his eyes and suggested instead that they should all just watch movies all day and order in some food. They all agreed, none of them having assignments from Fury or anything else productive to do. Betty was working so Bruce could stay but said that he wanted to leave before she left work in order to prepare something nice for dinner for them both. The others all awww’d him. 

Feeling kind, Tony said he would wash up the breakfast things while the others fought over movies to watch. Bruce stayed to help him. From the kitchen they listened to them all arguing, Clint was telling them how fantastic the Hunger Games was and why they should watch it. Natasha quickly pointed out that he had watched it the day before so his suggestion was scrapped. Steve wanted a comedy and Natasha agreed. Thor had no preference, stating that he was just glad to be surrounded by his friends. Loki didn’t mind either as long as they didn’t choose anything too dull. 

In the kitchen Bruce turned to Tony and stared at him for a few seconds. 

“What?” Tony asked eventually. 

“Nothing.” 

They carried on washing up, Tony cleaning the plates and glasses in the steaming bowl of water and Bruce drying them and putting them away in their right place. Soon, however, Bruce paused again, watching Tony. Tony dropped the plate he was cleaning into the water. 

“Seriously,” He said, looking over at his friend. “Bruce, what’s up?” 

“I don’t know how to say it.” 

“Try, you’re the smartest person I know besides myself of course. 

Bruce scoffed but nodded. “Okay fine...” He paused, carrying on drying the plates. “Right okay, don’t be offended but like, what’s going on Tony? What changed? Less than a week ago you were drinking yourself to death while Loki was off I don’t know where. Then suddenly he turns up and you’re back together. I’m just a bit confused.” 

“I knew you’d be the one to bring this up, and no, it’s not a bad thing,” Tony added quickly. “Yeah I know me and Loki broke up but that doesn’t mean our feelings just went away. The reasons it happened are our own and we’ll talk about it another time because right now I don’t want my happy buzz being killed. Anyway, in the time when Loki went missing, he was in Asgard. He then came back and told me why he went and then we sorted out our problems. I that time my feelings were never changed, I was just so fucking depressed by the thought that Loki didn’t want me anymore but when he came to Malibu and told me what he did in Asgard I just couldn’t believe that anymore.” 

“What did he do in Asgard?” Bruce asked curiously. 

“He gave up his immortality.” 

“Holy shit.” 

Tony let out a chuckle. Hearing his mostly calm friend curse would never get old. 

“Yeah I know, don’t tell anyone. It’s Loki’s secret to tell when he wants. Luckily I trust you so it’s okay, it’s more Thor that will be the problem.” 

“He’ll probably be heartbroken and freak out or something, don’t be surprised if the biggest thunderstorm doesn’t hit New York.” 

“Thanks for the confidence boost. I know it will be tough for him but he will have to deal with it, I’m sure it’s a hell of a lot worse for Loki.” 

Bruce nodded. 

They finished off the washing up in silence, putting everything away neatly in the cupboards. They headed out but, just before they entered into the living room, Bruce put a hand on his arm. 

“So you’re happy right.” 

“Yep, I’m happy.” 

“Good,” Bruce smiled. 

Joining the rest of the team, Bruce squeezed himself in between Steve and Thor on one of the sofas. Natasha and Clint were both curled up on the large armchair, Natasha draped across Clint’s lap. The smaller sofa was occupied by just Loki. When Tony entered, he smiled up at him. The genius dropped down beside him and Loki moved to settle comfortably into his side. 

The movie started and Tony could honestly say that he paid no attention throughout, much more interested in the Loki’s wandering hands and his soft lips against his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter will be the epilogue and please read the notes that will be posted at the end because there will be a message for all you amazing readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please comment, I love receiving them! :)


	34. Epilogue

# Epilogue

One year had passed. One happy, nothing too weird or too dangerous happening, year. The leaves had all fallen from the trees and their branches were left bare, ready to support the snow when it fell from the sky. During the day, coats were needed permanently when they left the house and by night they were forced to cuddle close together just to preserve heat, not that any of them objected. Loki believed that Tony was secretly turning off the heating just so that he had more reason to be close to him. Loki would roll his eyes but make no comment as the other snuggled up to him. 

They had made the decision a few months back to move into Tony’s mansion in Malibu permanently, both having become very tired of being berated about doing ‘inappropriate’ things in any room that wasn’t their bedroom. The process had gone smoothly and they were now settled down together, living a quieter life. Tony was still an Avenger and saved the world regularly but when he came home, it wasn’t to a lonely tower where he would collapse onto his bed without even getting undressed. Now he came home to a warm house and an occupied bed with his favourite person nestled beneath the sheets. He would shrug out of his clothes and wriggle under the covers where he would be pulled into a welcoming embrace by his lover. 

Life had definitely gotten better. Tony had a very stable relationship that he had managed to make last longer than a few months and Loki had everything that he had craved for his whole life. Acceptance, happiness and love. 

Loki had finally plucked up the courage to tell Thor of his decision to become mortal. Though there were tears in the blond’s eyes, he had told Loki that he respected his choice as long as he was happy. He had then said a quiet goodbye, obviously needing some time alone to process what he had just learnt. At first Tony held him back, then, some minutes later, he allowed Loki to follow his brother. He wasn’t totally sure what they had spoken of but when Loki returned his eyes were red and wet, he said nothing, just went straight to Tony and buried his head into his shoulder, pulling him into an embrace. It seemed that Loki had finally made peace with his long denied brother. 

“Loki?” 

“Hmm,” Loki hummed in reply. 

“You’re not going to sleep are you?” 

“No, not right now.” 

They were sat together on the veranda overlooking the sea. The waves were crashing lightly against the cliff below them and the sun was just disappearing below the horizon, leaving a clear dark sky where the stars were just starting to shine. It was not long before the sunlight totally disappeared and the moon took its place, floating high above the earth and reflecting in the sea below where the water moved causing the reflection to shimmer on the surface. 

Tony shifted beside Loki, moving so he could put his arm further around Loki’s shoulders. He reached forward and took Loki’s hand in his own, entwining their fingers. Loki looked at their hands then brought Tony’s up and pressed it to his lips, letting out a soft sigh he let them fall. He stared out across the sea before looking up at the star smothered sky. Finally he closed his eyes and relaxed out, stretching so only his head remained resting in Tony’s lap. The genius brushed his long hair off his face, absentmindedly combing through it while watching the moon rise higher in the dark sky. 

“Tell me a story Anthony,” Loki murmured. 

“What?” Tony asked, surprised at his request. 

“Tell me a story. I care not of what it is about, make it up.” 

“Umm...okay, give me a second,” Tony replied, glancing around, searching for anything that could spark his imagination. 

“Tell me a story about the sky,” Loki mumbled, opening his eyes to stare into Tony’s then nodding his head to the stars above. “Use the imagination I know you have,” he smiled, closing his eyes again. 

“Fine, but this is only for you and don’t think this is becoming a regular thing.” 

Loki just hummed in response, waiting for him to begin his tale. Once again Tony looked around, this time deep in thought, trying to work out exactly what to say for this story. What was he supposed to say? This evening had been his idea. Not that he had told Loki, but he had a plan and had secretly made sure that they would both having nothing to do both today and tomorrow. He needed Loki’s undivided attention. But now Loki was asking for this and it was changing his plans and he was unsure of how he could take back control over the situation. In the end he thought it best to just go with it and see what happened. What he planned on doing was supposed to be spontaneous anyway to catch Loki by surprise so maybe this was a good way of distracting him. 

Settling back so he was more comfortable, he stared up at the sky while still running his fingers through Loki’s hair. Letting out a breath lightly, Tony began his story. 

“Once there were two lovers whose love was unfathomable. However they had not always been this way for when they first met they hated eachother and fought viciously. One even succeeded in throwing the other out of a window.” Loki let out a small snort of laughter, knowing exactly who these two lovers were based on. “Their relationship remained unchained for a long time, neither making any effort to get to know the other. Then one day everything changed and soon after that they were together and happier than either of them had been in a very long time. But it was not perfect all the time, they were like any other couple and still fought like children over silly things. There was one time when they were split apart by evil and almost lost eachother in trying to fight it. Their love was strong and in the end they pulled through.” 

Tony paused and glanced down at Loki whose eyes were closed, his breathing settled into a steady rhythm that almost fooled Tony into believing he was asleep. This was proved wrong when his eyes suddenly opened and Tony was met with sparkling green. The god’s brow creased and he tipped his head slightly to the side. It was a prompt for Tony to continue his story. 

“Not that it wasn’t difficult, in truth they were both idiots.” Loki shifted and looked up at Tony, frowning. Tony just shrugged, silently telling Loki to just go with the story and to not question it. He remained silent. “Not in terms of brains, in terms of relationships. Neither knew how they worked or what to do so when faced with the worst they gave up and stepped away causing their relationship to end. Luckily one of them found the little bit of courage needed to step up and fix the rift between them. Now that they were back together and there was no more danger, they were allowed to be happy and remained that way for many years. During that time though, one of them believed he needed to show the other just how much he meant to him so he began to hatch a plan, using his extensive knowledge of everything, to go into space and bring back a star for his lover. By sheer willpower he managed it and went straight to his lover, presenting the gift proudly. As expected, his lover was overwhelmed by the gift and-“ 

“I don’t think his lover would be overwhelmed as you say,” Loki said unexpectedly, startling Tony. 

“Well that’s your opinion, this is my story so I will tell it how I want.” 

Loki rolled his eyes and sat up causing Tony to grumble from the sudden loss of Loki’s body against his. It had gotten even colder outside and the genius was relying on Loki’s heat to keep him warm because his thin jacket certainly wasn’t doing the job. 

“I think it should be at least slightly realistic and so-“ 

“Loki, babe, this whole story isn’t realistic,” Tony interrupted. “That’s why it’s called a story. You told me to tell you a story about the sky and I am and, let’s face it, it’s impossible to pluck a star from the sky and bring it back to Earth.” 

“I am well aware of that fact Anthony but I just think that presenting a star as a gift is slightly over the top, don’t you agree,” Loki said, resisting the urge to smile at Tony’s petulant expression. 

“Fine, if you think you can do better then you finish the story but you wanted it about the sky so you have to keep in the bit about the star.” 

Loki sighed quietly but nodded, noticing the pout on Tony’s lips. He swiftly stole a kiss, watching the genius look back at him indignantly. 

“Don’t pout dear, it doesn’t suit you,” Loki said sweetly, lying back against Tony and once again resting his head in his lap. 

“Just finish the story,” Tony mumbled. 

Smiling, Loki complied with his wish. “And so the first man brought the star back to Earth and went to present it to his lover. When presented with the gift, though, the lover was undoubtedly surprised, not expecting the other to go to such lengths to prove his feelings. He thought it unnecessary because he already knew the other loved him and couldn’t understand why they needed gifts to prove it. 

“ _‘Why did you do this,’_ the first said. 

“ _‘it’s a gift,’_ replied the second. 

“ _‘But it is unnecessary,’_ the first pleaded. _‘If you wish to give me a gift then let it be yourself and take this star back to where it came from.’_

“His lover was somewhat surprised by his request. _‘Take the star back?’_ He asked. His lover nodded. With some slight persuasion he was persuaded and soon enough the star was back in its rightful place high in the sky and the lovers were once again reunited. On his long journey while taking the star back, the lover realised he didn’t need gifts to show his love and so when he did return he vowed to spend everyday not bringing the other magical gifts, but instead loving the other with every fibre of his body. They spent many many years by each other’s side and, as all Midgardian tales end, they lived happily ever after.” 

As he finished his story, Loki’s voice faded to a soft breath that Tony felt brush against his skin. When finally the story ended and there was nothing else to say, Loki fell into silence, letting out a contented sigh as Tony played with their fingers, linking them then unlinking them before entwining them, this time not breaking the bond. 

“I suppose your ending wasn’t too bad,” Tony admitted reluctantly. 

Loki huffed out a laugh and sat up, resting his head on Tony’s shoulder and cuddling up into his side. 

“I’m glad you approve.” 

Tony knew that this was the perfect moment to do what he wanted to do, or rather ask what he wanted to ask. He could see that Loki was comfortable and content, his breathing a slow rise and fall of his chest. Why wasn’t he taking his chance? Why was he still sitting down when he should be down on one knee? The time was right. 

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. He was bloody terrified. Terrified of asking, terrified of taking the leap, terrified of the answer. It was stupid and yet it was reasonable. This was Tony Stark, the genius, the billionaire, the ex-playboy, the philanthropist, ready to take the step he swore he would never take. What wasn’t terrifying about that? But he was still determined. He was sure that this is what he wanted. By the end of this night it would be done and he would have his answer. 

They sat in silence for some time, either staring out across the vast ocean, or gazing up at the stars. 

“Anthony it’s rather cold now, perhaps we should head indoors,” Loki suggested, feeling Tony shivering against him. 

“No Loki, just like ten more minutes please.” 

There was something in Tony’s tone that made Loki hesitate before settling back down. He couldn’t work out what it was but it puzzled him. Was there something wrong with Tony? Loki thought it best not to worry. It was probably nothing. It was most likely just the cold. 

All of a sudden Tony got to his feet. Surprised, Loki looked up at him questioningly. Tony said nothing and Loki became even more curious when he was offered Tony’s hand. He took it and willingly walked over to the edge of the veranda. He tried and failed to catch Tony’s eye. 

The sun had long since disappeared and it was almost totally dark outside except for two lights on the side of the mansion and the moon that hung high in the sky. Loki could see the lamps reflected in Tony’s eyes as he finally turned round to face him. 

Keeping Loki’s gaze fixed firmly on his own, Tony discreetly slipped a small box out of his pocket, wrapping his fingers tightly around it so Loki would be unable to see it even if he did look down. He took a deep breath and stared up at Loki before lowering down to one knee. It was now or never. 

“Okay so honestly I have no idea where to begin with this. In all the movies and the shitty TV shows the people always manage to pull out this amazing or cheesy speech from nowhere that always seems to win the other over but I don’t have one prepared. I have no idea what to say. Normal people give all the reasons why they love the opposite person but I’m not a normal person and we’re certainly not a normal couple. In a way I think I should just come out and say it because all this beating around the bush won’t change the outcome I don’t think. So truthfully Loki, I love you and you know that because I make an idiot out of myself everyday trying to prove it to you and if you say yes then I’ll spend the rest of my life still trying to prove it to you. The reasons are endless as to why I love you and I’m not going to tell you any of them because we don’t need your ego being boosted any more so here, I’m just gunna say it. Loki, will you marry me?” He finished, opening the ring box slowly. 

The silence rang in his ears like church bells as he remained kneeling on the floor, unable to look at Loki. It seemed like an age before cool hands took hold of his wrists and gently tugged him to his feet. The truth was that it was actually seconds. Finally having the courage to look up at him, Tony stared anxiously at the expression of utter surprise on Loki’s face. 

All the thoughts that were running through his head at that point were _oh god, oh shit, I fucked up, he’s gunna say no, I’m a twat, I hate life._ His musings were suddenly interrupted by Loki pressing an earnest kiss to his lips, totally erasing all thought from his brain. 

Loki’s lips were impossibly soft as they worked against his own. A gasp escaped him as Loki pulled him flush against his chest, holding him close. The god ran his tongue along Tony’s bottom lip then, after nipping at it once, he stepped back, breaking contact. 

Tony met Loki’s eyes that were far too green to possibly be real, but they were real, they were Loki’s. 

“So...is that a yes?” Tony asked tentatively. 

“Yes,” Loki breathed, resting his forehead against Tony’s, a smile blossoming on his face. 

Letting out a huge breath of relief, Tony swiftly pulled Loki into another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, the end.   
> I cannot even put into words how wonderful you all are for reading this story and a special thankyou to everyone who commented, subscribed and bookmarked it. Every single one of them means the world to me. I hope that you have enjoyed this story from start to finish and will continue to read some of my other works that I will post in the future. I am currently working on three other FrostIron stories and the first I will start to post in around a month.   
> I have had many ups and downs with this story, often going through times where I have hated it and wanted to delete it but we have gotten through and this is the end. I had tears when writing this final chapter because it is the end and it just makes me so sad. So thankyou for sharing in this experience with me and I hope you have had as much fun as I have had. Have a very happy new year!!


End file.
